29th March 2024
About half of the Lithuanian population thinks that intellectual or psychosocial disability is a sufficient reason for controlling a woman and that she is to blame for the violence she experienced. This was revealed by a public opinion survey commissioned by the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson.
Experts call such attitudes unacceptable, associating them with myths surrounding disabilities and warning that they deepen the entrenchment of certain groups on the fringes of society.
Tendency to justify violence
According to a representative public opinion poll, 7 out of 10 residents justify the financial control of a partner or spouse when a woman has an intellectual disability, and half justify it when a woman with a psychosocial disability experiences violence.
A similar trend is seen with social control: 51% and 38% of respondents agree that a man can decide with whom and when a woman meets when she is with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities.
The study revealed that in cases of violence, residents often tend to blame the victims: 41% believe that women with intellectual disabilities often provoke their partner’s violence, and more than a third hold the same opinion about women with psychosocial disabilities. Almost half of the respondents believe that women with these disabilities tend to exaggerate their experiences of violence.
“We see that strong myths about intellectual and psychosocial disability still prevail in society. It is wrongly assumed that those who experience these disabilities are fundamentally different, as if less human. That’s why clearly unacceptable behavior is justified,” comments Aurelija Auškalnytė, project manager of the non-governmental organization “Mental Health Perspectives.”
Traumatic experiences are devalued
She points out that intellectual disability does not mean a person must lose all independence.
“I will give you an example. A person with an intellectual disability usually cannot think abstractly or write long complex sentences. It’s not surprising if they spend a lot of their money on favorite treats without budgeting for other expenses. Does this mean we can appropriate this person’s money and spend it as we see fit? No way. It just means they may need help planning their expenses,” says A. Auškalnytė.
According to experts, it is important to understand that a person with an intellectual disability, like everyone else, wants to live safely and with quality, make their own decisions, resent injustice, and can make mistakes.
Speaking about domestic violence, A. Auškalnytė emphasizes that women with disabilities are often underestimated due to both disability and gender stereotypes.
“Women with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities experience domestic violence more often than other women. They also tend to face disbelief when seeking help. It’s not for nothing that we keep hearing the devalued term ‘tantrum’ in our language. It is also used when women with mental health disorders are telling their stories, but those traumatic experiences of violence are not taken seriously,” she says.
Disability carries stigma
Evaluating the survey data, Mintautė Jurkutė, an expert at the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, says they reflect the general situation of domestic violence in the country.
“Statistics show that violence against women is widespread. When disability is involved, women become even more vulnerable due to concerns for an allegedly incompetent person, leading to bans on work, use of finances, and restrictions on meetings and other freedoms. These pushes people further to the fringes of society. Intellectual and psychosocial disabilities are particularly stigmatized in Lithuania, compared to hearing impairment or mobility disabilities,” she states.
According to M. Jurkutė, the reason for this is a lack of knowledge, which leads to false beliefs and various fears.
“Survey data shows that many residents do not distinguish between intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. They tend to diminish women with either type of disability, justifying violence against them. Such attitudes are more common among men, older people (70 years old and older), and those with incomplete secondary education. The least tolerant of violence are women and people with higher education,” says the representative of the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson.
Can be independent
According to representatives of the organization “Mental Health Perspective,” intellectual disability is related to intellectual disorders present from birth and experienced when facing environmental obstacles, such as complex instructions and underestimation by others. This includes people with Down syndrome and some with autism spectrum disorder. Meanwhile, psychosocial disability is determined by acquired mental health disorders that can change over time and is experienced when facing obstacles like lack of help and discrimination due to psychiatric diagnoses.
Experts say that with proper support, care, and community openness, most people with these disabilities can successfully adapt, work, study, and live independently.
A representative survey of the Lithuanian population was conducted on March 15-23, 2024. It was conducted by the public opinion and market research center “Vilmorus”. 1000 people over 18 years old were surveyed.
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