Researchers want to know how some people with autism end up in online hate groups
TORONTO -- An international research team is investigating why people with autism might be more likely to be radicalized by online hate groups, and how to develop intervention methods to help.
Researchers and those who work to rehabilitate former participants of hate groups are concerned that people with autism represent a vulnerable population that these hate groups could be preying on for recruitment. “I feel that it's very important that autistic people be able to advocate for autistic people,” he added. “This is an extension of that kind of advocacy.”
“So a ‘weaponized’ autistic person might be thought of … as a Terminator robot, just, you know, as unfeeling and unemotional and plods along and does its job,” Robison explained — the ‘job’ in this case being the agenda of white supremacy or other hate-based movements. Robison has previously written editorials regarding the dangers of linking autism to mass murder and violence. He clarified that this study does not look at violence itself, but specifically participation in hate speech online.
“In the second phase of the study, we're going to interview autistic people who are either engaged with or in the process of disengaging from … hate groups,” Penner said.
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