This email comes with a trigger warning as the research isn’t easy to read.
When it released this article highlighting the research and associated report, The University of Sunderland called it “bleak yet incredibly important research.”
It was fundamentally important for me, along with Dr Pearson, to bring to light the many ways Autistic People are abused, wittingly and unwittingly, by the people who should be supporting us, caring for us and advocating for us; the people often closest to us, emotionally and physically, in whom we should be able to trust.
As Autistic people ourselves it wasn’t easy research to conduct.
Whilst there is a trigger warning if you read the report and the research, because truly it IS bleak, I’m also hearing that Autistic People are finding it incredibly validating.
As Amy and I state in the report:
“We need a new narrative that highlights the trauma Autistic people experience through victimisation, but which also shines a spotlight on the role of perpetrators, rather than what the victims should be doing to change.”
We truly hope that victims of abuse will see themselves as just that. Victims.
They weren’t at fault. They weren’t to blame.
The paper is sub-titled: “I felt like I deserved it because I was Autistic” and we sincerely hope that from reading the research Autistic People will realise that they did NOT deserve it and they were indeed victims.
If you would like to read the research in full you can do that here: ‘I felt like I deserved it because I was autistic’: Understanding the impact of interpersonal victimisation in the lives of autistic people’
If you would like to read the report generated by the research you can do that here: IPV Report
Please do let me and Amy know what you think of the research. We’re both active on Twitter (@KieranRose7 and DrAmyPearson) and you can reply to this email.
And please do share the research so that we can ensure the vital and necessary changes are made to stop this abuse.
Be kind to yourself, Kieran
With thanks to Dr Amy Pearson and John Rees, both of The University of Sunderland, for your work with me on this research. And to Kathy Reed from DBK for designing the report.
CITATIONS
If you would like to cite this article please visit the article on Sage Journals – ‘I felt like I deserved it because I was autistic’: Understanding the impact of interpersonal victimisation in the lives of autistic people and cite it from there (you will find a citation tool to give you all of the correct information).
If you’ve found this article useful you can support my work by donating any amount from $3 (about the same as a coffee – mine’s a caramel latte please!).
I know not everyone wants, or needs to buy one of my training courses, but I often find people will read one of my free articles and want to say ‘thank you’ (and this is really appreciated as they’re a lot of work to write!) Buying me a virtual coffee is a really easy way to say thanks. It also supports me to keep being able to create new, free content and keep my older, free content up-to-date. It also allows me to keep my website ad-free!
My Autism FAQs page is a good place to start if you’re new to my work and want to explore more. Thanks for your support, Kieran.
JOIN KIERAN’S MAILING LIST (for infrequent, but useful, updates!)
And, as a thank you for joining, you’ll get a 10% off code emailed to you which you can use on Kieran’s on-demand autism training and ebooks (including his flagship training The Inside of Autism).
Training and ebooks from Kieran
I have a full range of autism training and ebooks on my website; starting from just a few dollars and all priced to be affordable.
Got more questions about Autism?
If reading this article has given you more questions then my Autism FAQs is a great place to point you in the right direct to get answers (and most of where I direct you is to free-to-access resources!).
1 Response to "New research from Kieran Rose and Dr Amy Pearson finds widespread abuse of autistic people"
Hello,
My name is August. I am 59-years-old and was recently diagnosed ASD/ADHD. As difficult as this is, I have come to realize that I have been systemically objectified and used sexually since I was a child and well into adulthood. Never being seen for who I was or diagnosed because someone “as cool and good-looking as you” can’t be autistic or have mental health issue. I came to believe this myself. Decades of masking, playing the role of the cool guy have left me exhausted. I work with autistic adults as a job coach and fiercely protect them–we are too trusting and believe what people tell us even when they are clearly dangerous and toxic. Thank you for bringing awareness this this topic.