Siglo Cero (Sep 2017)

Invisible victims. Analysis of a case of abuse from the perspective of the victim with intellectual disability

  • Belén GUTIÉRREZ-BERMEJO

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14201/scero2017481921
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 48, no. 1
pp. 9 – 21

Abstract

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This article aims to analyze the experience of abuse by a person with intellectual disability. For this purpose, a semi-structured interview was recorded, transcribed and analyzed according to the existing scientific literature. The results show the emotional impact of the abuse experience on the victim. It also identifies false myths in relation to the emotional experience of people with intellectual disabilities and provides psychological explanations for the actions of the different people involved in the aggressions. The plurality of abuse situations which the victim may face, as well as the permanence of abuse over the years, define a common characteristic in the maltreatment of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Understanding all the dynamics that can lead to abuse in people with intellectual disabilities provides a new perspective in the assessment and intervention with these victims.

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