Comparing Prevalence of Multiple Types of Sexual Victimization Among Individuals with and without an Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis

Sexual victimization (SV) disproportionately affects individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet few studies have incorporated updated, well-validated tools that capture the full range of SV experiences. This study utilized the revised Sexual Experiences Survey - Victimization (SES-V) measure to examine rates of four forms of SV (noncontact, technology-facilitated, illegal, and verbal pressure) among U.S. adults with and without self-reported ASD diagnoses. Participants (N = 663) were recruited online and categorized into ASD (N = 287); non-ASD (N = 270); and an exploratory subclinical group (N = 106), consisting of individuals who suspected they might have ASD but had never received a formal diagnosis. Logistic regressions controlling for gender, age, and sexual orientation revealed that ASD participants were significantly more likely than non-ASD participants to report noncontact and illegal SV, but not technology-facilitated or verbally pressured SV. Women were consistently at higher risk than men across all SV categories. Notably, individuals in the subclinical group reported SV prevalence rates comparable to those with formal diagnoses. Exploratory analyses using RAADS-14 scores suggested that sensory reactivity was consistently associated with SV experiences and was particularly strongly associated with noncontact SV. Together, these findings suggest that vulnerability to SV may extend beyond categorical diagnosis and be linked to specific neurodevelopmental traits, rather than diagnostic status alone. This underscores the importance of education efforts that address sensory-related vulnerabilities regardless of formal diagnostic status.