Exploring the implications of crime victimisation for people with disabilities in South Africa

People with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable to crime victimisation and often face barriers to protection, support, and recovery following traumatic experiences. Despite growing recognition of violence against people with disabilities globally, limited attention has been given to understanding the implications of victimisation within the South African context. This article examines the emotional, physical, psychological, social, and financial consequences of victimisation for people with disabilities, highlighting how these effects compound the challenges associated with their impairments. Framed by the Social Model of Disability (SMD), the study explores how people with disabilities experience and respond to crime victimisation and how they demonstrate resilience in its aftermath. A qualitative exploratory research design was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of participants’ lived experiences. Fourteen adults with disabilities who had experienced crime victimisation in South Africa were purposively recruited through social media platforms, disability organisations, and snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted both face-to-face and virtually and were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings show that victimisation affects people with disabilities across psychological, physical, social, and financial dimensions. Mental health emerged as a cross-cutting consequence, with emotional distress, trauma-related responses, social withdrawal, and financial strain closely interconnected with broader disability-related and structural challenges. The findings further underscore the need for trauma-informed, disability-sensitive, and accessible support services.