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I was talking to folks in the chat room the other day, and found that among us there was a surprisingly high incidence of abuse in our pasts (and in one case, present). There weren't enough people to draw any real conclusions, though, so I thought I'd ask for a poll here.

Abuse includes physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and neglect, but not reasonable corporal punishment or arguments between parent and child.

My theory is that Aspies are particularly vulnerable to child abuse, if their parents are of the sort that would stoop to such acts, for many of the same reasons that we are susceptible to bullying. Being socially isolated, a little gullible, prone to temper tantrums and other behaviors which annoy parents, Aspies may become the targets in a family, instead of their NT siblings, and have trouble extricating themselves from such a situtation because they have few social resources.

(I should note here that I know quite well that child abuse does not cause AS or autism. That is an outdated theory...)

My brother, who I suspect has AS or at least a lot of comorbidities including ADHD, was beaten by my father very badly. My dad hardly laid a hand on me. I think he spanked me once when I was a teen and I couldn't really call that one very severe.

I remember very clearly a conversation I had with my father when he explained why he couldn't bring himself to hit me. In fact, he said it seemed pointless. He said I was extremely sensitive. He said I physically flinched whenever he just raised his voice. Then again, if I ever witnessed him beating my brother, I can see how that would make me flinch when he raised his voice.

There are other incidents of abuse in my family though which I prefer not to go into.

Absolutely no abuse in my case. My parents have been the great helpers in my life, so I really have a lot to thank for them in my case. I don't get along with my dad as much as my mum, though. More often than not, I'm more sociable with my cat, Spice.

hi brave_aliens/dark_aliens here.

You know me thats all im going to say

I was bullied at school but never abused at home or anywhere else. My parents could be strict but most of the time they have been nice and supporting, before and after I got my diagnosis.

I was bullied at school but never abused at home or anywhere else. My parents could be strict but most of the time they have been nice and supporting, before and after I got my diagnosis.

I would say i had about zero abuse from family, school, etc. But I still resented
authority figures and the few times I was not lost in my own world of daydreaming,
playing with lego , etc I got in major trouble and I guess that punishment was for greater
than most the things user here went through(confinement). But since I choose with my own "freewill" to confront authority I guess I can not complain(and I dont).

Abuse comes in different forms. I was'nt abused in the traditional sense. I was neglected and marginalised by most members of my family. I caused long lasting damage to my life, so it counts as abuse in my book.

I also wasn't abused in the traditional sense. My father was alcoholic and probably mildly aspie. He was extremely critical, which did nothing to help my self-esteem. Spankings were severe. I now feel that he was very disappointed that I wasn't more "normal." But his father was a drunk who beat him and his brother and their mother, so needless to say he was pretty fu**ed up. I think I had it relatively easy compared to him.

School and home and on the street

it still goes on to this day.

My parents were okay for the most part. They didn't abuse me, but they were frusterated about my Obsessions and how I used to talk about them, until I've entered high School. There was also one Summer that they've kept on telling me to stop talking through my nose, but that's nothing compared to what everybody else has been put through.

trying to cope with it

I walk extra to go where the bullies aren't

Home I hide

School I escaped and am now at Univerity

I wasn't abused in the traditional sense. I had all the things a family should provide: food, shelter, and clothing. Love and affection were a completely different story. I was told things such as: "you're a mature person now (when I was 8 ), so you can't get affection just because you exist; you need to earn it", and they refused to tell me how to earn it. Also, they treated my older sister (an NT) way better than they treated me, although my relationship with her was marginally better than with my parents. To this day, I feel truly incapable of having a family, since I wouldn't even know how to interact with them.

They work a bit.

There are times when I walk somewhere and they are there then I have to run ( which isnt easy as my knee and thigh are screwed because of something that happened a few years back). But I can run quite a way.