"Bullied by Girls and Women; One Man's Account."

[lumberjack_jeff]

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/bullied-by-girls-and-women-one-mans-account/

At age six, I was diagnosed autistic. In order to be official I had to undergo a series of tests for the mind, hearing and co-ordination at a local general hospital. These came in the form of games tailored to measure and gauge “Normative” criteria. My mother and father would drop me off, leave me in the hands of various counsellors and support workers. Needless to say, it was not a good experience. They screamed at me, put me down for breaking rules, some even grabbing my arms and forcing “normal” motions out of them when I refused to participate in their chosen game or pick something up like a “Normal Boy”. One support worker once burst into the room during a hearing exercise I was doing wrong and became unhinged while I sat and quivered in the chair, shaking; a scared little six year old child. These counsellors and support workers were women.

In Elementary School, on three occasions, I was attacked by a move of kids outside the rear exit doors. Some were my age, others older. They’d scream and shout into my ear, crowding me in an effort to disorientate my senses. I was lead around in a few directions until groups of hands reached forward and took hold of my pants. I tried to fight them off, but in vain as they yanked my pants down to the ankles then dispersed in gleeful amusement at their handiwork. Girls participated in the deed alongside the boys. I never told anyone about these incidents, not even my mom and dad for it was drilled into them, and me, that my “behaviour” was a problem in need of correction. So who’d believe an autistic “Behaviour Challenged” little boy like me?

Very much worth reading the whole thing.

[TrogL]

1. Been there, done that

[SheilaT]

2. What happened to you was bullying, pure and simple.

Kids on the autism spectrum just can't connect "normally" and they can make wonderful targets for other kids.

My son with Asperger's was bullied in elementary school, and it was why we chose to move him to an independent (read private) school going into 7th grade. At the time we had no idea he had Asperger's. We just knew he was different from other kids in ways that went beyond the normal charming individuality of all people. At the private school he thrived. He was smart, and smartness was cherished there. He wound up doing Science Bowl and helping his team go to nationals two years running.

I don't think he eve had any experiences as horrifying as what you've described, but if he had he wouldn't have told me about it. I only learned that a classmate tossed his jacket into someone's yard when that someone called me up to inquire if the jacket was his. Luckily there was some kind of ID in it.

Bullying of any kind, no matter how a kid is "different" should absolutely never be tolerated. Generally we don't tolerate bullying in the workforce (although there are many exceptions to that, I know) and we shouldn't tolerate it anywhere.

I myself was never on the receiving end of it, and I don't think I ever did it -- if I did I've forgotten. I do recall in about fifth grade being on a class trip and making sure I sat with the kid who was the class scapegoat, the one who was bullied and made fun of. It wasn't very comfortable doing that, and I don't know what motivated me exactly, other than I knew that the way he was treated wasn't right. I wish I had done that kind of thing more often.