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Use of Support Services and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Abused Ghanaian Women with Disabilities

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Abstract

In spite of the high rates of violence against women with disabilities, many factors hinder abused women with disabilities from seeking help either from social support or professional services. The aim of this study was to investigate the help-seeking behaviors of abused women with mobility and visual impairments who have been abused by caregivers and their use of support services in Asokore Mampong District, Ghana. We employed a qualitative exploratory design to elicit the views of participants. Interview protocols were used for the data collection. Interview transcripts were analyzed and presented thematically. Twenty (20) women with either mobility or visual impairments who were originally screened as victims of violence by caregivers were used for the study. Few participants reported seeking help for their abuse. Reluctance in abuse disclosure was attributed to concerns about retribution, keeping family matters private, shame and embarrassment from being subjected to cultural stereotypes (particularly among sexual abuse victims), lacking awareness of accessible services, and mistreatment and bias by informal and formal “support” systems. Focus should be placed on promoting increased awareness among women with disabilities about their rights to exist free from abuse and where to seek support services. Efforts towards challenging and correcting preconceived beliefs of persons with disabilities and women in the society are also merited.

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Correspondence to Amy Budu-Ainooson.

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This study was funded by a grant (D43-TW007267) from the Fogarty International Center of the US National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Appendix

Appendix

Interview Questions

  1. 1.

    Have you ever experience a situation in which you were physically harmed in the house or suffered an abuse against your body? (hitting, beating, kicking etc.) YES/NO

    Probe: How did it happen?

  1. 2.

    Have you ever been forced into any sexual activity including touching, intercourse or rape?

    YES/NO

    Probe: How did it happen?

  1. 3.

    Have there been any instance where you were subjected to any emotional distress, threats, terrorization or psychological trauma through verbal assaults, forced isolation, rejection?

    YES/NO

    Probe: How did it happen?

  1. 4.

    Had there been any attempt to manipulate or control or forcibly taken away your financial resources because of your fragility? YES/NO

    Probe: How did it happen?

  1. 5.

    Did you seek help after the abuse? YES/NO

    Probe: Why did you seek help?

    What prevented you from seeking help?

    Where did you seek help from (formal or informal support service)?

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Budu-Ainooson, A., Nakua, E.K., Donkor, P. et al. Use of Support Services and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Abused Ghanaian Women with Disabilities. J Fam Viol 35, 815–826 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00117-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00117-4

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