autism sexual abuse

Beyond Bullying: Autism and Sexual Abuse

autism sexual abuseI’m a petite single female working in public safety. I’m strong; I lift heavy weights six days a week, I run every other day, I do MMA workouts on the days I don’t run, and I take boxing classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I own firearms and I’m trained to properly handle them. I have an advanced alarm system, security cameras, and two giant huskies that share my residence. I’m situationally aware of my surroundings at all times.

And yet…

I receive a daily assortment of inappropriate advances from what I affectionately term as “creepers.”

I’ve also been a victim of sexual assault four times in my adult life.

You know what? It sucks. Big time. It’s not without its permanent price. So if this can happen to a strong and socially aware neurotypical female, where does that leave my beautiful 19 year-old Aspie daughter? How is she to navigate the Land of Creepers? How is she to protect herself?

Communication alone is a challenge. While I can read into seemingly “innocent” texts from my band of creepers and see there is intent (and they think I don’t! Ha!), my daughter is not so adept at underlying messages, innuendos and body language. It’s not just about someone snatching her on the streets; the reality is that she is likely to innocently get herself entangled in a bad situation by simply not picking up on social cues.

Why are they at risk?

A study done of 55,000 children showed a child with any type of intellectual disability was four times more likely to be sexually abused than a child without disabilities (Sullivan & Knutson, 2000). While no specific numbers exist for individuals with autism, research suggests that this population is extremely vulnerable.

Those on the spectrum are generally taught compliance from a very young age, making them easy targets for criminals. Combine that with difficulty picking up social cues and understanding other individuals’ intentions, and the end result is vulnerability to a range of crimes.

Hard to spot

According to Special Ed Abuse, nearly one in six autistic children have been sexually abused.

Recognizing it can be extremely challenging, as communication deficits mean that a child’s report could be unreliable. Typical signs of sexual abuse in children MAY be an autistic child’s baseline behavior. These signs include:

  • Sleep disturbances
  • Angry outbursts
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Difficulty thinking or concentrating
  • Withdrawn behavior
  • Propensity to run away

Since self-reporting of abuse or trauma by individuals with ASD may not occur, it is important that family members, caregivers, behavior support specialists, and other professionals in the child’s life receive training on potential behavioral changes that may be associated with trauma exposure so they may assist in reporting and obtaining services.

Signs of abuse that are unique to autism may include exacerbation of social anxiety, remembering or re-enactment, changes in the child’s baseline behavior, and new onset or increased self-injurious behaviors.

Also keep in mind that when encountering professionals within the criminal justice system, persons with ASD may not respond to verbal instructions, they may avoid eye contact, appear argumentative, become agitated and anxious, appear to be under the influence of narcotics, or only repeat what is being said to them. These behaviors should not be interpreted as deliberate, disrespectful or hostile.

They may also be fixated on a particular object or topic and may ask repeated questions, speak in a monotone voice with unusual pronunciations, and be honest to the point of rudeness. They may not understand the extent of the trauma they experienced, nor the expectations of assisting within the criminal justice system.

Most police departments have a Crisis Intervention Team, which staffs a psych nurse and an officer trained in psychiatric crisis management. They have many tools available to them that other officers may not. If you suspect autism, seek assistance from department assets such as a mobile crisis team or unit early on in the legal intervention, as they can help identify if the person may require special assistance from psychiatric professionals.

For more information about getting your department trained and certified in autism safety, click HERE.

autism criminal justice

Autism and the Criminal Justice System

autism criminal justiceDuring the introduction of my Autism Training for Emergency Responders class I talk about how special needs individuals are seven times more likely to interact with first responders, usually due to wandering, comorbid medical conditions and severely escalated behaviors that may mimic mental illness, drug abuse or just plain non-compliance.

What happens when someone with autism enters the criminal justice system? There are currently no statistics going beyond interactions in the field, but it certainly does provide a challenge and opportunity for myriad complications.

Problems with sensory overload, poor understanding of sarcasm, idioms and exaggeration as well as non-verbal communication such as facial expressions and body language can foster inappropriate responses that lead to trouble for the autistic individual. Add to the mix their trusting vulnerability and inability to deal with changes in routine or structure and people with autism often get into trouble without even knowing they committed an offense.

I’m not saying that someone with Asperger’s or autism will NEVER intentionally break the law, but so often these situations get easily misconstrued. The individual may have technically committed an offense, though the criminal behavior might have been an act of impulsivity, with no intent to do harm.

My son will repeatedly make a threatening or, at the very least, rude remark to me and then is shocked when I get upset with him. He has learned to apologize when I tell him he was hurtful or inappropriate, yet he has no idea WHY he’s apologizing because in his mind, he simply made a truthful or logical statement. Or he was repeating something he heard but has no idea what it actually means.

These kinds of “processing differences” could lead to him getting in trouble with the law down the road. The Asperger/Autism Network cites examples of unintentional offenses such as:

  • Making threatening statements
  • Inappropriate sexual advances
  • Being an accomplice to a crime due to the influence of false friends
  • Making physical outbursts in a public place or within the community

Criminal justice professionals may observe a high-functioning autistic person as appearing “normal” then diagnose their seemingly odd behaviors – such as lack of eye contact, changing the subject and blunt honesty – as disrespectful, evasive and belligerent. Sometimes someone with autism uses loud vocal tones, repetitive motions and laughter as a way to cope with both the anxiety of the situation and the overwhelming sensory environment, which is often misread as guilty and remorseless behavior.

The following strategies will help prepare you for successful interaction and communicating:

  • Approach the person a quiet, non-threatening manner
  • Allow more time for processing questions and delayed responses
  • Do not interpret limited eye contact as deceit or evidence of guilt
  • Avoid phrases that have more than one meaning or may cause confusion when taken literally, such as “Are you pulling my leg?” or “What’s up your sleeve?”
  • You may need to repeat or rephrase your question
  • Stick to narrative style questions rather than “yes” or “no” type questions – they are more reliable
  • Be prepared to write down or draw out the question for visual processors
  • Be patient – avoid becoming emotionally aroused and upset
  • Be aware of sensory processing issues: keep lighting low, limit distracting images, eliminate the presence of non-essential personnel, avoid using perfume or aftershave if possible, and avoid touching the person unless absolutely necessary
  • Seek assistance from objective professionals that are familiar with autism

Most police departments have a Crisis Intervention Team, which staffs a psych nurse and an officer trained in psychiatric crisis management. They have many tools available to them that other officers may not. If you suspect autism, seek assistance from department assets such as a mobile crisis team or unit early on in the legal intervention, as they can help identify if the person may require special assistance from psychiatric professionals.