Preventing maltreatment of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD): From the assessment of social vulnerability to the development of a curriculum aiming at preventing abuse and neglect in later life

The overall aim of this doctoral thesis was to deepen and inform the maltreatment prevention possibilities for adults with IDD across the lifespan. The first three studies approached maltreatment prevention from the perspective of vulnerability assessment, whereas the last study provided a more in-depth focus on active prevention.

Study I focused on the cross-cultural validation of a self-report measure assessing social vulnerability in adults with IDD: the Social Vulnerability Test-22 items [TV-22]. Participants were adults with IDD (n = 29). Results indicated that the TV-22 is a reliable and valid measure for assessing social vulnerability in adults with IDD.

Study II reported findings related to the implementation of the TV-22. This study used a mixed-method design to assess the implementation outcomes of the TV-22: the acceptability (e.g., the complexity of coding), the appropriateness (e.g., usefulness), and the fidelity of utilization of the TV-22 by special education practitioners (n = 31) were measured. Results underscored the importance of evaluating implementation outcomes when a new measure is developed to ensure its correct use by stakeholders.

Using the scale validated and implemented in the first two studies, Study III aimed to further the understanding of social vulnerability in adults with IDD, more specifically in digital risks. Participants were adults with IDD (n = 51). Participants’ answers to the five items of the TV-22 related to digital risks were qualitatively analyzed. Results highlighted the importance of designing, in a holistic manner, preventive measures against the victimization of people with IDD.

Study IV described the development of a curriculum to prevent elder abuse in adults with IDD. It completed the information currently available on the prevention of abuse of persons with disabilities across the lifespan by providing new information on the prevention possibilities of abuse among elder adults, an area of research that was, until present scarce.