Teens With Autism Are Being Bullied, Abused And Robbed By Their 'Friends', Research Finds

New research has shown that teenagers with autism are being subjected to a high level of ‘mate crime’ - being robbed, abused and bullied by so-called friends. The study, conducted by Wirral Autistic Charity, said that nearly 90 percent of teenagers with these conditions had suffered at the hands of their supposed friends through either manipulation or even abuse. The research showed that many of the study’s 141 participants had been manipulated by their ‘friends’ with these experiences leaving some too scared to go out for fear of further bullying.

In one case, a “trusting and honest” 24-year-old man with autism had left his credit card and PIN number with a friend who later used it to pay for a huge bar bill. The study revealed that another man suffering from one of the conditions had been befriended by his neighbours who then went on to store illegal drugs in his home. Out of the 12 to 16 year olds who admitted that they felt as if their friends had taken them advantage of, more than half reported they’d been stolen from. For more than two-fifths, they had been subject to physical abuse.


http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/07/13/autism-and-aspergers-sufferers-mistreated-by-friends_n_7785710.html?utm_hp_ref=uk