Beyond headlines: what the Banting stabbing teaches about autism and stigma

 Psychologists say one diagnosis has dominated the conversation, overshadowing broader questions about support, inclusion and early intervention.

Psychologist Bimal Roy believes focusing prematurely on an autism diagnosis risks reinforcing harmful stereotypes about the neurodivergent community. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle)

PETALING JAYA:

The recent stabbing at a secondary school in Banting has left many Malaysians searching for answers.

But amidst the shock and headlines, psychologists worry one word has come to dominate the conversation: autism.

“My client is autistic. That is all I can say.” That brief statement by National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer S Vijeswari Devi, representing the 15-year-old suspect, quickly made headlines across the country.

For psychologist Bimal Roy, himself the father of an autistic son, that framing was “deeply alarming”.

“Until there’s been a proper investigation, we should not be putting any labels,” said the founder of Neuro Pioneer Hub, an organisation that promotes greater inclusion and support for neurodivergent individuals.

“The minute you put a label of autism, it stops people from asking really pertinent questions as to why this happened in the first place, because everybody assumes it has to do with autism.”

In the July 6 attack, the suspect is accused of stabbing another 15-year-old girl with a knife with intent to cause death, leaving the victim seriously injured.

FMT previously reported that the suspect claimed she had been bullied by classmates, including the alleged victim.

Roy, however, worries that reducing a complex incident to one diagnosis risks reinforcing the stereotype that autistic people are inherently violent – a misconception psychologists say is unsupported by scientific evidence and one that many families have spent years trying to overcome.

“There is no research on the face of this earth from any reputable academic institution that says there’s a direct link between autism and violence of any kind,” he stressed.

In a video shared widely on social media, students are seen fleeing as a young woman holding a knife walks through the school compound.

Other experts share the same concern. “We’re not trying to excuse misbehaviour. But how did it arrive to this extent? Were there unmet needs that have been overlooked?” asked Akif Farhan Ahmad Basri, a clinical psychologist and lecturer at Taylor’s University.

Roy noted that incidents such as these rarely occur without a series of contributing factors. For instance, media reports indicate that the suspect had been absent from school for months before the stabbing.

“Why? I don’t know what support the child is getting, either at home or clinically. But to me, that’s an alarm bell,” Roy said.

He has already seen how the headlines are affecting families of autistic children. “I’ve had parents coming to me and saying, ‘I’m really nervous about my child going in’ (to school). These are real consequences of that headline.”

Akif warned that it is easy for people to attribute aggression to a diagnosis without considering the broader circumstances surrounding an individual. He, too, agrees that language matters in media reports.

“When it comes out to the public, it’s very easy for people to arrive at simplistic conclusions, such as ‘we should ban all autistic individuals from going to school’,” he said.

For Akif, autism should be approached from a neuro-affirming perspective that recognises an individual’s psychological and sensory needs.

Akif Farhan Ahmad Basri.

Without the right support, some autistic children may become so overwhelmed that they end up harming themselves or others. “There’s so much more underneath that, that we need to understand,” he said.

Both experts emphasise the need for more resources in schools and better training to help teachers recognise and support neurodivergent students.

“If I had a magic wand, I would insist every teacher in every school – or a good proportion of them – go through training so they can identify children who are neurodivergent as early as possible and provide the appropriate level of support,” Roy said.

He and Akif ultimately hope the incident prompts wider dialogue about how autism is portrayed in the media, while prompting Malaysians to better support neurodivergent people – particularly children who may be struggling long before they reach crisis point.

“An autistic child is not influenced wholly by the fact that he or she has autism. It’s how the family relates to that, how wider society relates to that,” Roy added.

“Unless there’s a counter-narrative, this will be a permanent label. I don’t want to see children bullied. I don’t want to see families keep their children at home through fear, because that benefits nobody.”

As Malaysians continue to grapple with the tragedy, both experts believe it presents an opportunity to deepen conversations about support, understanding and early intervention, rather than allowing one diagnosis to define an entire community. - FMT