Deaf Kids Face Greater Risk of Violence

A new study finds disabled children, especially deaf children, are nearly 4 times more likely to have physical and sexual violence in their lives than . The World Health Organization says these children face discrimination and ignorance about their situation along with a lack of social support, making them more vulnerable to violence. A WHO spokesman says limited speech can make it more likely they will not be understood or even listened to when they try to communicate problems to authority figures. The report is a combination of findings from 17 studies on more than 18,000 children. Most of the information comes from research in middle and upper income countries. The WHO says there is an urgent need for research in poorer counties as well.