AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
This poisonous form of bullying is sweeping the region and hitting the most vulnerable
Autism Together staff and service users pose for a photograph as part of their Together Against Mate Crime campaign
‘Mate’ crime against autistic people in Merseyside is more than double the UK-average, a survey has found.
Mate crime is a hidden form of disability hate crime, where vulnerable people, such as those with autism, are bullied or manipulated by people they consider to be friends - and it is affecting 80% of Merseyside’s autistic community.
A survey conducted by Autism Together of Merseyside in 2015 found that 80% of those over 16 felt they had been bullied or taken advantage of by someone they considered a friend.
The survey found the most vulnerable age group to be 16-25, who all reported having difficulty distinguishing between genuine friends and those who may bully or abuse the friendship in some way.
Bullying fears
Eight out of ten said that fear of bullying had caused them to turn down social opportunities.
Of the respondents who reported experiencing mate crime, 71% across all age groups had been subject to name calling and verbal abuse.
In the 25 plus age group, 74% reported that they had been manipulated or forced to do the wrong thing and over a third of adults with autism (or their carers) who responded to the survey had been subject to bullying or manipulation of a sexual nature - including being coerced into ‘sexting’.
The participants also detailed their experiences of bullying.
Light Cinema, New Brighton, supported their Together Against Mate Crime campaign by photographing their staff with the slogan and posting it on social media
One male with autism, from the 16-25 age group, said: “I was frightened to tell anyone about the bullying and theft and manipulation, as if my grandparents found out, they would report this to my head of year, the bullies would be sanctioned and things would get worse for me the next time.”
A female with autism, also aged between 16-25, said: “In primary school I allowed a few class mates to take my glasses and coat for the purpose of mimicking me during lunch time. I always got them back undamaged so I thought nothing was wrong. I was the only one who got mimicked.”
A parent of a son with autism, aged 24, described how his child wants to mix with girls but it is a “minefield”.
He said: “The worst thing that happened was when his ‘friends’ picked up his phone and started texting a girl he liked. He was very deeply hurt and has never recovered.
“He’s so trusting and honest and can’t seem to learn from or manage situations like this. He’s had problems with money, too. He left his credit card and pin number with a so-called friend who then used it to run up a huge bar bill. These days he has no friends and feels very lonely. He spends all day on his PlayStation.
“He has no interests or motivation. He just wanted to be like any other 24-year-old.”
Cases often go unreported
This damaging and often unreported bullying has even forced parents to take their children out of school and move to a completely different area.
Steve Vasey, head of the charity’s Rainbow Resource Centre for children and families in Birkenhead, said: “My professional response to this is that we probably focus too much on working out strategies to help and support people academically and with employment skills - it means we’re failing to recognise the extent to which they need social and emotional support.
“My response as a human being is that this report proves how utterly horrible we can be. We all need to wake up right now and be more understanding of the vulnerable in our society.”
Robin Bush, CEO of Autism Together, said: “Mate crime is morally reprehensible and these people are cowards. People with autism struggle enough with the complexities of daily life without having to live in fear that people who pretend to be their friends will actually steal from them, assault them or encourage them to commit crimes on their behalf.
“I hope all stakeholders will look closely at the findings from our survey and work collaboratively to educate and eliminate hate crime from our communities.”
SOURCE: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/80-people-autism-merseyside-victims-10679356
This poisonous form of bullying is sweeping the region and hitting the most vulnerable
Autism Together staff and service users pose for a photograph as part of their Together Against Mate Crime campaign
‘Mate’ crime against autistic people in Merseyside is more than double the UK-average, a survey has found.
Mate crime is a hidden form of disability hate crime, where vulnerable people, such as those with autism, are bullied or manipulated by people they consider to be friends - and it is affecting 80% of Merseyside’s autistic community.
A survey conducted by Autism Together of Merseyside in 2015 found that 80% of those over 16 felt they had been bullied or taken advantage of by someone they considered a friend.
The survey found the most vulnerable age group to be 16-25, who all reported having difficulty distinguishing between genuine friends and those who may bully or abuse the friendship in some way.
Bullying fears
Eight out of ten said that fear of bullying had caused them to turn down social opportunities.
Of the respondents who reported experiencing mate crime, 71% across all age groups had been subject to name calling and verbal abuse.
In the 25 plus age group, 74% reported that they had been manipulated or forced to do the wrong thing and over a third of adults with autism (or their carers) who responded to the survey had been subject to bullying or manipulation of a sexual nature - including being coerced into ‘sexting’.
The participants also detailed their experiences of bullying.
Light Cinema, New Brighton, supported their Together Against Mate Crime campaign by photographing their staff with the slogan and posting it on social media
One male with autism, from the 16-25 age group, said: “I was frightened to tell anyone about the bullying and theft and manipulation, as if my grandparents found out, they would report this to my head of year, the bullies would be sanctioned and things would get worse for me the next time.”
A female with autism, also aged between 16-25, said: “In primary school I allowed a few class mates to take my glasses and coat for the purpose of mimicking me during lunch time. I always got them back undamaged so I thought nothing was wrong. I was the only one who got mimicked.”
A parent of a son with autism, aged 24, described how his child wants to mix with girls but it is a “minefield”.
He said: “The worst thing that happened was when his ‘friends’ picked up his phone and started texting a girl he liked. He was very deeply hurt and has never recovered.
“He’s so trusting and honest and can’t seem to learn from or manage situations like this. He’s had problems with money, too. He left his credit card and pin number with a so-called friend who then used it to run up a huge bar bill. These days he has no friends and feels very lonely. He spends all day on his PlayStation.
“He has no interests or motivation. He just wanted to be like any other 24-year-old.”
Cases often go unreported
This damaging and often unreported bullying has even forced parents to take their children out of school and move to a completely different area.
Steve Vasey, head of the charity’s Rainbow Resource Centre for children and families in Birkenhead, said: “My professional response to this is that we probably focus too much on working out strategies to help and support people academically and with employment skills - it means we’re failing to recognise the extent to which they need social and emotional support.
“My response as a human being is that this report proves how utterly horrible we can be. We all need to wake up right now and be more understanding of the vulnerable in our society.”
Robin Bush, CEO of Autism Together, said: “Mate crime is morally reprehensible and these people are cowards. People with autism struggle enough with the complexities of daily life without having to live in fear that people who pretend to be their friends will actually steal from them, assault them or encourage them to commit crimes on their behalf.
“I hope all stakeholders will look closely at the findings from our survey and work collaboratively to educate and eliminate hate crime from our communities.”
SOURCE: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/80-people-autism-merseyside-victims-10679356
