Are autistic people more vulnerable to extremist content?
People with rigid thinking patterns who prefer routine and order may be drawn to extremist groups’ black-and-white solutions. But autism itself is not the problem.
Recent media reports have suggested that neo-nazis in Australia may be actively recruiting autistic young men. While some research indicates that certain autistic individuals may be more susceptible to engaging with harmful online content, including conspiracy theories and extremist ideologies, researchers warn that autism alone does not explain such behavior.
Instead, the circumstances that may make some autistic individuals more responsive to recruitment efforts, such as the level of support they receive and the profound social exclusion many autistic people face, need to be considered. Factors such as fixated interests, rigid thinking, and a preference for order and predictability, which are common among autistic people, may make some individuals more vulnerable to extremist recruitment.
However, the majority of autistic people do not engage in extremism, and focusing solely on autistic characteristics without addressing the impact of bullying, exclusion, and loneliness can be misleading. Support for at-risk autistic young people is crucial in helping them find genuine connection and understanding elsewhere, preventing them from being recruited by extremist groups.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
