Do Autistic People Attract Narcissists More Often Than Non-Autistic People?

Differences in social information processing could be a main contributing factor.

Autistic individuals are more likely to be victimized and abused than their non-autistic peers. | Photo by Riccardo Mion on Unsplash

Today I’d like to talk about the link between autism and interpersonal victimization, especially as it pertains to victimization at the hands of narcissists.

When I say victimization, I mean abuse in the form of physical, sexual, emotional, mental, financial, and/or spiritual abuse.

I’ve been involved in the autism community for a few years now, and I’ve noticed something interesting. That is, almost every single female autistic individual I’ve met has experienced a great deal of interpersonal victimization or are currently struggling to get out of a harmful relationship — whether that’s romantic, family-based, friend-based, or work-related. In these relationships, they’re being subjected to unfair or abusive treatment.

I mention females because I tend to befriend more females than males, especially at a deeper level, but I’m sure there are many male autistic individuals in these same situations.

This pattern I’ve recognized is well-supported by the findings of clinical experts who work with autistic people and/or work in autism scholarship or research.