Predictors of Sexual Victimization and Perpetration in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background: While previous studies have found that compared to typically developing peers individuals with high functioning ASD have less sexual knowledge and are more likely to be victimized (Brown-Lavoie, Viecili, & Weiss, 2014), studies have yet to explore how other factors may contribute to this increased risk. Social deficits, misinterpretation of social cues, and social naivety may influence the susceptibility to sexual violence. Traditional sex-related stereotypes generally endorse the sexual entitlements of males (Hanson, et al., 1994), and these beliefs have been associated with sexual perpetration in adolescent males (Lichter & McClosky, 2004) and have been found to predict chronic sexual victimization in young females (Foshee, et al., 2004). Therefore, an examination of social deficits and gender role beliefs is an important next step in understanding victimization and perpetration in adults with ASD.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine if social skills, empathy, and traditional gender role beliefs are associated with increased rates of sexual victimization and perpetration in individuals with ASD. It was hypothesized that individuals with ASD would be more likely to be victims and perpetrators of sexual violence.

Methods: Ninety-five individuals aged 19-43 with high functioning ASD (62% Males) and 117 individuals aged 18-35 without ASD (56% Males) were matched on mean chronological age. Participants completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-adult; Baron-Cohen et al., 2001), the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES; Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987), the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ; Spreng et al., 2009), the Family Roles Scale (FRS; Lichter & McClosky, 2004) and the Dating Script Scale (Crawford, 2000). The FRS measures egalitarian sex-role attitudes by assessing participants’ beliefs about husband and wife relationships. The DSS assesses perceptions of normative dating behaviour.

Results: In a previous study using this data set, adults with ASD were found to be more likely to be victims of sexual violence than the comparison group. In the current study, adults with ASD were significantly more likely to report perpetrating some form of sexual violence compared to adults without ASD (χ² (1)= 26.56, p < .001), largely the result of reporting being more likely to engage in unwanted sexual contact, not coercion or rape.  Two multiple mediation analyses were conducted, controlling for sex, with the variables of interest as mediators on the impact of ASD status on predicting victimization and perpetration. The Dating Scripts Scale total score was a full mediator of the relationship between ASD status and victimization, and was a partial mediator between ASD status and perpetration. 

Conclusions: We found that the ASD sample has a higher rate of both perpetration and victimization. While social skills and empathy were not significant predictors, ideologies and agreement with patriarchal gender stereotypes was a significant predictor of both sexual victimization and perpetration, and explained why individuals with ASD were at increased risk of reporting both victimization and perpetration. This has important implications for prevention programs.