'Maybe we just seem like easy targets': A qualitative analysis of autistic adults' experiences of interpersonal violence.

Researchers interviewed 22 autistic adults about their experiences of violence. They found that violence was very common - so common that participants expected it to happen. These experiences badly affected their mental health and ability to trust people, especially when others didn't believe them. Participants thought some autistic traits like being too trusting or trying too hard to please others made them targets for violence.

This qualitative study explored interpersonal violence experiences among 22 autistic adults through interviews and thematic analysis. Participants reported that violence was commonplace in their lives and among other autistic people they knew, leading to expectations of victimization. The violence had significant negative impacts on mental health, self-perception, and ability to trust others, particularly when disclosures were not believed. Participants identified certain autistic characteristics as potential vulnerability factors, including excessive trust and people-pleasing behaviors.

They suggested these vulnerabilities may be shaped by experiences of being told their natural behaviors were wrong and pressured to mask or conform to social expectations.

Findings suggest need for violence prevention programs tailored to autistic adults, trauma-informed mental health services, and safety skills training. Clinical approaches should address vulnerability factors while promoting autism acceptance rather than masking behaviors. Support systems must be prepared to believe and validate autistic adults' disclosures of violence.

Small sample size (n=22) limits generalizability. Qualitative design cannot establish causation. Self-reported experiences may be subject to recall bias. No comparison with non-autistic adults' experiences. Recruitment method and participant demographics not specified in abstract.

Research has consistently shown that autistic children are more likely to be victimised than non-autistic children. More recently, studies have also found that autistic adults report experiencing more violence than non-autistic adults however the circumstances surrounding these incidents and the reasons for this are not clear. We wanted to learn more about violence during adulthood for autistic people including what led up to these incidents and what happened afterwards. We spoke to 22 autistic adults who had experienced violence and analysed what they told us to look for common themes.

They told us that violence was commonplace in their own lives and in the lives of other autistic people that they know, so much so that they had even come to expect it to happen. They also talked about the negative effect these experiences had on their mental health, the way they felt about themselves and their ability to trust people. This was made worse if people did not believe them when they disclosed what had happened to them. They told us that certain autistic characteristics might make them more vulnerable like being too trusting or going along with people just to please them.

They thought that some of these characteristics had been shaped by their experiences, especially being told that that their thoughts, feelings or behaviours were wrong and being pressured to change the way they behaved to 'fit in'. These findings are important in helping us to understand how to improve the personal safety of autistic people.