Autistic adults face higher risk of certain types of sexual victimization, study finds

A recent study published in The Journal of Sex Research suggests that adults with autism experience higher rates of certain types of sexual victimization compared to those without the diagnosis. The findings indicate that these vulnerabilities might be linked to specific sensory sensitivities rather than just the official diagnostic label itself. This provides evidence that tailored education programs focusing on consent and sensory regulation could help protect people with varying levels of autistic traits.

Scientists Brianna M. Akers and Zoë D. Peterson conducted the study to gain a more accurate understanding of how often autistic adults experience different forms of sexual harm. Akers is a counseling psychology doctoral student at Indiana University Bloomington and the Kinsey Institute. Peterson is a professor of applied psychology and director of the Sexual Assault Research Initiative at the Kinsey Institute.

“Across the globe, many people report nonconsensual sexual experiences (i.e., sexual victimization), and that is no different here in the U.S.,” Akers told PsyPost. “I have long been interested in ability status, particularly how this identity shapes the way a person moves through the world and how others perceive and treat them.”

Akers noted that past research indicates autistic individuals are disproportionately affected by nonconsensual sexual experiences. “Existing research suggests that autistic individuals are at an increased risk for experiencing sexual victimization, but there are still gaps in our understanding of which specific types of sexual victimization are most common in this population,” Akers said. “We wanted to conduct this study in the hopes that the findings could help better inform advocacy efforts, prevention programming, and survivor services offered to individuals with autism.”

To respect the diverse community they were studying, the researchers intentionally varied their terminology throughout their work. “One additional thing we would like to note is that language preferences around ability status have fluctuated over time and continue to vary across individuals,” Akers said. “Some people prefer identity-first language, such as ‘autistic person,’ while others prefer person-first language, such as ‘person with autism.’ Because our participants expressed varied preferences, we used both forms when writing the original research article and have continued to do so in these responses as a way to honor their preferences.”

To conduct the study, the researchers recruited adults living in the United States through an online participant platform. The final sample consisted of 663 individuals who were at least 18 years old. Participants were sorted into three distinct groups based on their self-reported diagnostic status.

The first group included 287 individuals who had received a formal clinical diagnosis of autism from a medical professional. The second group consisted of 270 participants who did not have an autism diagnosis. The third group was an exploratory category of 106 individuals who suspected they might have autism but had never received a formal diagnosis, which the authors refer to as a subclinical group.

Participants completed a 20-minute online survey for which they were paid four dollars. The primary measure was a newly revised 2024 version of a widely used questionnaire designed to assess experiences of sexual victimization since the age of 14. This tool breaks down unwanted sexual experiences into four distinct categories so researchers can evaluate the specific tactics used by perpetrators.

The first category measured noncontact sexual victimization, which includes behaviors like verbal harassment or someone exposing themselves without consent. The second category assessed technology-facilitated victimization, such as receiving unwanted sexual images or having intimate photos shared online without permission. The third category covered illegal acts, which involves perpetrators using physical force, verbal threats, or intoxicating substances to obtain sexual contact. The final category measured verbal pressure, which involves a perpetrator using persistent insults, anger, or manipulation to coerce someone into a sexual act.

Participants also completed a 14-question screening tool designed to evaluate symptoms typically associated with autism in adults. This questionnaire asked participants to rate their experiences with social anxiety, difficulties in reading social cues, and sensory reactivity. Sensory reactivity refers to a person’s physical responses to external stimuli, such as feeling overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, or unexpected touch.

The scientists found that sexual victimization was highly prevalent across all three groups in the study. When comparing the groups, the researchers discovered that an autism diagnosis was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing certain types of victimization.

“In our study, sexual victimization was commonly reported across all of our participants, but participants with autism were more likely to report two types of experiences,” Akers said. “First, they were more likely to report in-person sexual experiences where no touching occurred, such as being cat-called or stared at in a sexual way. Second, they were more likely to report sexual touch or penetration that involved force, threats, or situations where they were unable to consent, such as being drunk, high, or asleep.”

The study did not find significant differences between the formally diagnosed group and the non-autistic group when it came to technology-facilitated or verbally pressured victimization.

“Interestingly, autistic participants were just as likely as participants without autism to report technology-facilitated sexual victimization, such as receiving unwanted sexual images, or verbal pressure sexual victimization, such as being pressured into sex through guilt or repeated requests,” Akers said. “This means that, when we talk about sexual victimization risk within this population, we should be specific about the types of sexual victimization we are discussing, rather than assuming autistic individuals are at higher risk for all forms equally.”

Across all four categories, women were consistently at a higher risk of victimization than men, regardless of their diagnostic status. Older age also tended to slightly increase the likelihood of experiencing illegal acts and verbal pressure.

The researchers found that individuals in the exploratory group who suspected they had autism reported victimization rates that were similar to those with a formal diagnosis. This suggests that the vulnerability to sexual harm extends beyond a formal medical label.

“One finding that surprised us was related to our participants who thought they might be autistic but had never received a formal diagnosis,” Akers said. “In our study, these participants reported similar levels of sexual victimization as participants with a formal autism diagnosis across all the types of victimization we measured.”

This pattern is particularly relevant for certain demographics that tend to be left out of traditional medical models. “This felt especially important because autism has historically been underdiagnosed in women, and women are also disproportionately impacted by sexual victimization,” Akers said. “To us, this suggests that when access to tailored prevention programming and survivor support depends too heavily on formal diagnostic status, we may overlook a large group of people who could benefit from these services just as much.”

To test the idea that specific traits influence risk, the authors looked at the scores from the 14-question autism symptom screening tool. They found that the sensory reactivity score was consistently associated with all four forms of sexual victimization. The association was particularly strong for noncontact victimization, indicating that heightened sensitivity plays a major role in a person’s risk level.

Heightened sensory reactivity is a common trait in autism where intense stimuli can trigger a temporary emotional and physical shutdown. The authors note that when individuals feel paralyzed or overwhelmed by their senses, they might be unable to process risk cues or remove themselves from a threatening situation. This physical and mental overload could impair a person’s ability to assert boundaries, which tends to increase their vulnerability to predatory behavior.

While these findings provide insights into sexual victimization, the authors outline a few limitations to keep in mind. Foremost, they want to ensure the relationship between the condition and the experiences is not misunderstood.

“It is important to us that readers of our paper do not leave with the understanding that autism causes sexual victimization to occur,” Akers said. “Nonconsensual sexual experiences are not the fault of the survivor and always the responsibility of the person who enacts the harm. However, our study findings are consistent with previous research that suggests there is a link between autism and sexual victimization, and the more we learn about that link, the better informed our prevention programming will be.”

Because the study relied on an online platform for recruitment, the sample likely overrepresents autistic individuals with high verbal skills, cognitive abilities, and reliable internet access.

“Additionally, our study recruited participants from an online survey platform, meaning that our results might not fully represent the sexual victimization experiences for all autistic people, especially those with higher support needs,” Akers said.

Another limitation is that the autism diagnoses were self-reported by the participants and not verified through medical records. The researchers used a validated screening tool to support the participants’ claims, but the lack of formal diagnostic confirmation leaves room for potential inaccuracies.

The authors suggest that future research should focus on recruiting individuals across the full spectrum of autistic traits, including those with higher support needs. Scientists should also explore how other specific traits might influence vulnerability to sexual harm, such as cognitive rigidity, which is a difficulty in adapting to new situations.

The findings highlight a need for inclusive, sensory-friendly sexual health education programs. Making these educational resources available to everyone, including those with subclinical autistic traits, could help reduce the high rates of sexual victimization seen in these populations.

The study, “Comparing Prevalence of Multiple Types of Sexual Victimization Among Individuals with and without an Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis,” was authored by Brianna M. Akers and Zoë D. Peterson.