Child Abuse and Disability in an Ontario Community Sample: Does Social Capital Matter?

Abstract

Researchers have established a link between abuse and disability, but most abused individuals do not experience disability. While some survivors are severely harmed by their experiences of abuse, other survivors of similar exposure appear to have no long-term health problems. Can the presence of social capital account for these differences? Cross-sectional data from the Ontario Health Supplement were used to assess the association between child abuse, age, social capital (social connections and disruptions in living circumstances and relationships), cultural capital (education and occupation) and financial capital (money) and disability in a female community sample (n=4238). The results suggest that abuse (physical and sexual) and financial capital are associated with disability, but not social capital.

Keywords:

• childhood physical abuse
• childhood sexual abuse
• social capital
• disability