The Special Topics in Biostatistics Seminar Series in conjunction with the College of Health Sciences Associate Dean for Diversity presents “Crime Against Persons with Disabilities” on Dec. 6 from noon to 1 p.m. in the atrium of the STAR Health Sciences Complex. The event features guest speaker Erika Harrell of the United States Department of Justice. Please register in advance.

About the topic

The Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey defines a disability as the product of interactions among an individual’s body — including their physical, emotional, and mental health — and the physical and social environment in which they live, work, or play. A disability exists when this interaction results in limitations of activities and with restrictions to full participation at school, work home, or in the community. Disabilities are classified according to six limitations:

• Hearing (deafness or serious difficulty hearing);

• Vision (blindness or serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses);

• Cognitive (serious difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions because of a physical, mental or emotional condition);

• Ambulatory (difficulty walking or climbing stairs);

• Self-care (a condition that causes difficulty dressing or bathing);

• Independent living (physical, mental or emotional condition that impedes doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor or shopping).

The presentation will provide a brief overview of methodology and then report on victimization across the United States in the presence of these disabilities and moderating effects of sex, race and ethnicity.

About the speaker

Erika Harrell is a statistician in the Victimization Statistics Unit of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), working primarily with the National Crime Victimization Survey. She was a coauthor of BJS’s first report on crime against persons with disabilities, the first national study of its kind in 2009. She also writes in the areas of workplace violence and identity theft. She received a B.S. from Tennessee State University in criminal justice and a MA and PhD from the University of Delaware in criminology.

A pizza lunch is provided. For more information, contact Barry Bodt at babodt@udel.edu.