Disabled victims of targeted violence, harassment and abuse: barriers to reporting and seeking redress

This article draws on findings from an extensive review of literature conducted as part of a wider project on disabled people's experience of violence, harassment and abuse. In addition to under‐reporting, disabled people tend to report incidents to a third party rather than to the police. Physical, procedural, and attitudinal barriers discourage disabled people from reporting to the criminal justice system. The relationship between the victim and the perpetrator can also throw up significant challenges to reporting. Disabled people may accept that these incidents are ‘part of everyday life’. There is an implementation gap in relation to current legislative tools that can facilitate a disabled person to seek redress.