The pattern of targeting and grooming is of particular importance in relation to disabled children and as mainstream services become more vigilant, perpetrators may move into other less attentive services, such as voluntary agencies that serve disabled children and young people, in order to access potential victims.
Any visible disabilities might mark a child out as vulnerable, and if they are isolated from their peer group, have communication difficulties, and less information about what to expect from adults and to whom they could report abuse, then they are more likely to be seen as targets. Disabled children and young people who have a negative self-image may also be particularly susceptible to grooming and deception, and to “tricks or treats”.
– “Sexual Abuse of Children With Disabilities” – Professor Hilary Brown, United Kingdom.