Disabled People
What factors can contribute to disabled people’s
fear of crime?
A history of social exclusion
Until very recently, disabled people have been
effectively excluded from every level of society.
Historically, society has always ignored or played-down
their needs by treating them as part of a group, when they
should be treated as individuals. According to disabled
charity SCOPE, many disabled people give up the struggle of
attempting to take part in society and stay at home, which
in turn increases their sense of isolation. As discussed at
length in the Fear of Crime Toolkit, being part of a strong
community and having a strong support network is a vital for
minimising fear of crime and empowering individuals.
Unfortunately, many disabled people find it almost
impossible to participate in their local communities.
The introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
is going someway towards changing this by making access to
goods and services a legal requirement for disabled people
and outlawing discrimination on the grounds of disability in
education and employment. The DDA gives disabled people the
same rights that the rest of society takes for granted.
However, it will still take some time before the changes in
legislation are translated into permanent shifts in public
opinion and attitude on both sides of the fence.
Having a disability
Disabled people are not a homogenous group. The term ‘disability’
covers a wide range of physical and mental conditions and
impairments, from cerebral palsy through to depression or
HIV.
Lack of understanding leading to increased
victimisation and harassment
In their 1996 report entitled ‘Not Just Sticks and
Stones’, mental health charity MIND found that 47% of
their respondents with mental health problems had been
harassed or abused in public, with 14% actually physically
attacked. A quarter of respondents felt at risk of attack
inside their own homes, and another 26% said that they had
been forced to move home because of harassment.
These figures indicate that people with mental health
issues have some very solid grounds for worrying about
becoming a victim of crime, because mental disability
appears to invoke a very hostile public response.
Another piece of research from MIND on the provision of
mental health services showed that two thirds of respondents
had encountered local opposition to siting mental health
facilities in the area, with 19% of respondents experiencing
violent attacks on staff, users and property.
Ironically, the main reason behind the attacks was fear
of crime – local people were scared that having more
mentally disabled people in the neighbourhood would lead to
a greater level of random attacks and homicides. However,
these fears were irrational, and once the projects actually
opened opposition to them vanished.
People with physical disabilities, particularly older
people, may be more fearful of crime because of their
perception that they are ‘sitting targets’.
According to the Scottish Crime Survey 2000, 10 % of
those with limiting health problems felt that fear of crime
had a great effect on their quality of life, compared with
only 2.3 % of those with no health problems and 2.2 % of
those with non-limiting health problems.
Although physical disability is not generally perceived
to be threatening by the wider community, a lack of
understanding about the ‘preferential’ treatment shown
to disabled people can also increase the likelihood that
they will be victimised or harassed.
Anecdotal evidence has highlighted jealous neighbours
victimising people with a physical disability because they
have been given the ground floor flat with a garden, or
harassing them because they are in receipt of mobility
allowance and need a hi-spec car to help them get around.
What can be done to help
disabled people to manage and reduce their fears?
Case studies
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