Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Daniel Jones

Abstract

Individuals with disabilities experience victimization at rates higher than their typically-functioning peers. Because they are often perceived as unreliable reporters, the likelihood that victimizations of individuals with disabilities are reported is low. Data regarding the lived victimization experiences of individuals with specific disabilities are scant. Grounded in the rational choice theory and Cohen and Felson’s routine activity theory, this qualitative study investigated the victimization experiences of school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the rural Southern US. This study involved 21 public school students between the ages of 12 and 17 who were interviewed using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, second revision. Multiple themes were extricated from interview data through descriptive coding. Students with autism are most likely to be victimized in areas that are unstructured and have inadequate supervision. When a weapon was used during victimization, it was most often a weapon of opportunity, and types of victimization most experienced by students involved chasing, grabbing, or being forced to do something they did not want to do. This study identified fear of punishment and embarrassment as the most considerable barriers to self-reporting victimizations to appropriate authorities. This study’s results can be used by families, educators, and service providers to assist in supporting change for individuals with autism that are at risk for experiencing victimization. Study data may have a positive social impact by preventing victimization through the identification of potential victims, providing situational intervention in high risk areas, and supporting intervention in situations involving victimization for individuals with autism

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