Predictors of Sexual Victimization Among Autistic and Non-Autistic College Students.
Natalie Libster, Connie Kasari, Alexandra Sturm
PMID 37480442WHAT IT FOUND
When matched for other diagnoses, autistic college students reported similar rates of sexual victimization as non-autistic students.
ADHD, however, was associated with higher odds of both unwanted sexual contact and sexual assault, regardless of autism status.
Key findings
01Students with ADHD were significantly more likely than those without ADHD to experience unwanted sexual contact and sexual assault, while autism diagnostic status was not a significant predictor.
02When controlling for co-occurring diagnoses, autistic students were not more likely than non-autistic students to experience unwanted sexual contact or sexual assault.
03Students with ADHD and one or more co-occurring diagnoses were as likely as students with ADHD only to experience sexual victimization.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied on self-reported diagnoses without clinical verification. Gender, race, and sexual orientation were collapsed into binary categories, excluding gender-diverse and specific minority identities from detailed analysis. The matching procedure created artificial equivalence in co-occurring diagnosis rates between groups, which may limit generalizability to naturalistic campus populations. The cross-sectional design cannot determine causality; it is unclear if ADHD increases risk for victimization or if victimization impacts mental health or diagnosis reporting. The sample was predominantly White, limiting generalizability across racial and ethnic groups.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that autism itself protects against or causes sexual victimization. The study matched groups for co-occurring diagnoses, meaning the similar rates reflect that ADHD, not autism, was the significant predictor of risk in this specific matched sample.