Understanding and addressing interpersonal violence experienced by autistic people

Autistic people experience violence and abuse at an alarming rate, and to date there has been very little consideration of how to a) prevent this, and b) support those who have felt its impact. Historical discussions have framed violence towards autistic people as a personal failing to spot manipulative behaviour, driven by a lack of social understanding and individual vulnerability. In this talk I will present findings from multiple studies I have conducted in collaboration with other autistic academics and community partners. Across this body of research, we asked autistic people themselves about how they perceive and make sense of the experience of violence, and what we can better do to support them. The aim of this research was to transcend the notion of ‘individual vulnerability’ and resituate heightened risk and negative outcomes within an ecological framework which acknowledges the wider role that stigma and ableism have to play in the outcomes of autistic people. I will reflect on how we can take action across multiple levels to provide more effective support for autistic people who have been victimised, and importantly, create a better society for autistic people to prevent these experiences in future.

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