Bullying in the Autistic community

[Jonn]

It's very strange when the bullied turns into a bully themselves. You would think they would want to prevent it but maybe they stop caring as long as they rid of their weak position.

In the news yesterday, they talked bout this. Apparently, this is quite common.

 

[Jonn]

"Power corrupts...
Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely..."

 

[Jonn]

I was exploring the demographics of trolls and came across an interesting "fact".
I assumed trolls/bullies were overwhelmingly those who are low in self-esteem but was surprised that this wasn't necessarily the case.
Studies have suggested that trolls with tendencies towards sadism can in fact have high self-esteem.
"Interesting".

 

[Ella Spell]

Trolls and bullies aren't necessarily the same thing.

Either / or can definitely have high self-esteem though.

High self-esteem is seen in Narcissism, for instance. Narcissists get their self-esteem through external validation or at the expense of others.

 

[Jonn]

Internet trolling: A definition​

An internet troll, or online bully, deliberately tries to offend, cause trouble or directly attack people by posting derogatory comments on Facebook posts, blogs, under YouTube videos, on forums and other social media, such as Twitter and Instagram. Not every argument can be considered as trolling; a difference of opinion can lead to healthy discussion which can be invaluable on forums.

So when does acceptable banter turn into trolling? The Oxford Dictionary describes trolling as making “a deliberately offensive or provocative online posting with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them”. There are many different types of troll, such as:


The insult troll, who posts pure hateful comments just for the sake of it. They don’t need to know the person or have a reason for posting spiteful comments.


The forever offended trolls are experts in taking a humorous piece of content and turning it into something sour and offensive.


The show off troll doesn’t particularly like to take part in discussions, but prefers to share their opinion without having any particular knowledge of the subject being discussed.


The “look at me” troll isn’t interested in anything you have to say - they’re on a mission to get you to look at their page, buy something from them, download their content or follow them.

https://www.endsleigh.co.uk/blog/post/what-is-internet-trolling/

 

[Ella Spell]

^

It depends what the troll is trolling for. They aren't always trolling for arguments and they don't always have an abrasive personality. If that were the case, most trolls would be rejected and banned the first day they started bullying people.

What you describe sounds like stereotypical male trolls who argue about politics or enjoy wreaking havoc on internet communities. In reality trolls can be any gender or personality type, even if they don't appear to bully anyone on surface level. Sometimes they seem quite amiable and give the illusion that everybody likes them, even though they have subversive or selfish intent which most people will never see. Those people are called covert trolls.

Covert trolls may "troll" a forum they're otherwise unsuited to join. Perhaps they use an autism forum when they aren't really autistic, but they use that forum to "troll" for relationships with vulnerable people. When they engage with someone they may have no intent of maintaining a serious relationship but rather they do it like sport, for their own gratification or gain. They might love-bomb people or appear otherwise wonderful.

Behind the scenes they might be "trolling" for other relationships with other vulnerable people on the same site or elsewhere, again to boost their own ego or give themselves a white-knight sense of validation. Narcissists are known for trolling so they can boost their own ego by stealing other people's energy. It could be done consciously "I'm going to mess with that person", or subconsciously "I want that person to (love me) (like me) (flatter me) (support me) (make me seem popular)" even if they have no regard for the other person. None of this appears like bullying or antagonism, but the person is still a "troll" if they "troll" in hopes of receiving more than they'll ever give.

Picture someone trolling water in a fishing boat. They'll throw their bait into the water all day long, hoping a fish will bite. Their intention isn't to populate the water or help the fish. Their goal is to take as much as they need or even more than they need, while appearing to be Mr or Mrs Nice Guy for any oblivious passersby.

Here's the mentality of covert trolls who justify their own actions:

 

[Metalhead]

I have been bullied by autistic people on another forum since I did not drink their favorite flavors of Kool Ade. Ah, well, no demographic is safe from that.

 

[Princess Viola]

Yeah it's certainly unfortunate to see people in groups that are often victims of bullying be bullies themselves, but I guess you just can't stop people from being jerks.

 

[Jonn]

I have been bullied by autistic people on another forum since I did not drink their favorite flavors of Kool Ade. Ah, well, no demographic is safe from that.

I've met some mean ones that make up creative fantasies to suit their agenda.
It is bad when they gang up on a person to bully them off a website that they see as their own.
Talk about a narcissistic personality disorder.

So much for autistic integrity.

 

[Jonn]

Yeah it's certainly unfortunate to see people in groups that are often victims of bullying be bullies themselves, but I guess you just can't stop people from being jerks.

I see it as sad. Their hatred is consuming them.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

Yeah it's certainly unfortunate to see people in groups that are often victims of bullying be bullies themselves, but I guess you just can't stop people from being jerks.

It is a pretty interesting phenomenon. My lesbian step-sister is surprisingly racist, for someone in an oppressed group, who has been bullied and abused her whole life. Not that being oppressed makes someone a good person, but still...how hard is it to be a little self-aware?

 

[Vindiesel]

I had one cohort at my prior job and that job/manufacturing environment was his "passion/hobby" so he went around shoving unsolicited advice at people, telling people they are wrong instead of listening to their side or be inquisitive that someone can potentially have knowledge about something he didn't know, talk negatively behind peoples backs, worried about everything that was out of his control and essentially approached people like he was a manager and had authority which he did not. I just learned to interact with him minimal as possible and if he told me to do this that or the other I listened and did as I pleased and disregarded his bs that was baseless and preferential at best. He would yell at people if they did something he had control over like a mini meltdown. He also spoke in a desultory fashion which is hard to comprehend when you bouncing over vast amount of topics and then if you did ask him a question he would wikipedia drop on you. There was no simple concise conversation with that guy to the point I would have to say "I have to go now." His writing was like this as well. Essentially a 20yearold asd person that learned nothing about the world in a 40 yearold's body.

Everyone found him repulsive to be around and management did nothing to intervene when essentially everyone complained about him. His job performance was intermittent at best because he was to busy worrying about things out of his control.

What I knew about him was he has extremely poor social skills, stubborn, and essentially lived a very isolated lifestyle and the few in his life enabled him instead of challenged him to grow.

I thought about confronting him about it but that isnt my business. If I was in management I would pull him aside because when someone is toxic and hard to work with regardless of their brain wiring that is destroying morale then it should be addressed as such. I believe he is oblivious to reading people.

 

[Jonn]

It is a pretty interesting phenomenon. My lesbian step-sister is surprisingly racist, for someone in an oppressed group, who has been bullied and abused her whole life. Not that being oppressed makes someone a good person, but still...how hard is it to be a little self-aware?

I was rather naive about autism at one point. I believed the autistic hype that we were generally logical, honest, and fair-minded. While those traits can be found in many on the spectrum, I was shocked to learn how dysfunctional others can be.
As a result, I am less critical of NTs these days. "Every cloud has a silver lining", I guess.

 

[Magna]

I believed the autistic hype that we were generally logical, honest, and fair-minded. While those traits can be found in many on the spectrum, I was shocked to learn how dysfunctional others can be.

^ This statement sounds weirdly...ableist.

 

[Jonn]

^ This statement sounds weirdly...ableist.

I don't understand what you mean.
Could you clarify?

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I was rather naive about autism at one point. I believed the autistic hype that we were generally logical, honest, and fair-minded. While those traits can be found in many on the spectrum, I was shocked to learn how dysfunctional others can be.
As a result, I am less critical of NTs these days. "Every cloud has a silver lining", I guess.

I don't know. I once had a guy offer me life insurance money if I gave him some personal information. I can see an NT doing that, but not an Autistic person.

 

[vergil96]

I was rather naive about autism at one point. I believed the autistic hype that we were generally logical, honest, and fair-minded. While those traits can be found in many on the spectrum, I was shocked to learn how dysfunctional others can be.
As a result, I am less critical of NTs these days. "Every cloud has a silver lining", I guess.

It depends what kind of person someone is, doesn't it? You can find good and bad people in all kinds of groups, in the majority and minority groups.

 

[Jonn]

It depends what kind of person someone is, doesn't it? You can find good and bad people in all kinds of groups, in the majority and minority groups.

As I said, I was very autistically naive decades ago.
I'm not any longer, just disappointed.
I guess I took Tony Attwood too much to heart back then.

 

[Magna]

I don't understand what you mean.
Could you clarify?

You were shocked at how profoundly autistic some autistic people can be?

 

[Jonn]

You were shocked at how profoundly autistic some autistic people can be?

No, I meant that I was surprised at how some autistic ppl lack a moral compass.