The Impact of Intersectional Disadvantage on Autistic Women's Experiences of Interpersonal Violence: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The social factors that impact autistic women's vulnerability to interpersonal violence are underexplored within research about their experiences. The current literature review examines research about the experience of interpersonal violence for autistic women to develop a better understanding of the social factors that underpin this issue. Autistic women experience social exclusion and inequality in connection to their intersectional position as both a gender and neuro-minority group. This intersectional disadvantage contributes to the elevated rate of interpersonal violence that autistic women experience. Autistic women experience gendered forms of interpersonal violence, which are connected to inequality in accessing appropriate supports and the detrimental impacts of masking. Autistic women also face intersectional stigma associated with being both autistic and victim-survivors of interpersonal violence, which is a significant barrier to their engagement with support services. The issue of interpersonal violence and the intersectional factors that underpin this for autistic women should therefore be approached as a complex social issue rather than one of individual vulnerability.

Keywords: autism; interpersonal violence; intersectional disadvantage; vulnerability; women.