Disabled children more likely to be victims of violence, says WHO

A new study by the World Health Organization has found that disabled children are more likely to experience abuse and violence.

The study said that disabled kids are three to four times more likely to face violence than those without disabilities.

It is the first study to quantify the magnitude of the risk of violence toward those who are handicapped.

"The impact of a child's disability on their quality of life is very much dependent on the way other individuals treat them," said study author Mark Bellis from Liverpool's John Moores University, reported MedPage Today.

This research establishes that the risk of violence to children with disabilities is routinely three to four times higher than that of non-disabled children. 

Medical News Today reported that 93 million children suffer from a moderate to severe disability.

The results come from 17 prior studies dating back to 1990 that involved surveys of disabled children.

The study found that one quarter of children with a disability had faced abuse whether sexual, physical or psychological, said Voice of America.

The study was published in the medical journal The Lancet.

It was commissioned by the World Health Organization.