This is very insightful. I can think of a few reasons why autistic women may be more vulnerable to sexual abuse:
Autistic women may be more isolated from protective informal networks with other women that could warn them or help them make sense of their relational experiences.
In general, they may be less communicative about “touchy-feely” things like intimate interactions, making it more difficult to analyze them.
They may gravitate towards fields and environments that are male-dominated and contain strong power gradients (in finance, engineering, AI, etc).
They may be less alert to people’s hidden motives.
Due to their neurological wiring, the intensity of the experience may cause them to “leave their bodies”, making it impossible to react quickly or fight back. This can mistakenly cause the man to allege consent, especially if he’s used to passive intimate partners.
The overload of the experience may make it more difficult to process it afterward, too. Women have reported prolonged periods of confusion, dissociation from their bodies, and a sense of horror without being able to clearly articulate the crime.
Many people on the autism spectrum have experienced punishments and shaming for violating social norms from early childhood, leading to insecurity about expressing themselves. This makes it harder to confidently express their preferences in intimidating or manipulative situations.
The same threat about violating social norms keeps them quiet afterwards, too. One woman reported that after she disclosed her spectrum identity, she was told by a rationalist “community council” member that she would violate a social norm if she named her abuser.
This is very insightful. I can think of a few reasons why autistic women may be more vulnerable to sexual abuse:
Autistic women may be more isolated from protective informal networks with other women that could warn them or help them make sense of their relational experiences.
In general, they may be less communicative about “touchy-feely” things like intimate interactions, making it more difficult to analyze them.
They may gravitate towards fields and environments that are male-dominated and contain strong power gradients (in finance, engineering, AI, etc).
They may be less alert to people’s hidden motives.
Due to their neurological wiring, the intensity of the experience may cause them to “leave their bodies”, making it impossible to react quickly or fight back. This can mistakenly cause the man to allege consent, especially if he’s used to passive intimate partners.
The overload of the experience may make it more difficult to process it afterward, too. Women have reported prolonged periods of confusion, dissociation from their bodies, and a sense of horror without being able to clearly articulate the crime.
Many people on the autism spectrum have experienced punishments and shaming for violating social norms from early childhood, leading to insecurity about expressing themselves. This makes it harder to confidently express their preferences in intimidating or manipulative situations.
The same threat about violating social norms keeps them quiet afterwards, too. One woman reported that after she disclosed her spectrum identity, she was told by a rationalist “community council” member that she would violate a social norm if she named her abuser.