Autism and Delinquent Behaviour

Background:  

Over the last 20 years an increasing number of papers have been published about autism in relation to delinquent behaviour. Several of these concern case histories, others concern incidence searches. The question arises whether people with autism are prone to delinquent behaviour.

Objectives:  

The main questions in our research are:

1 What kind of delinquent behaviour is shown by people with autism?

2 Do specific autistic traits increase the risk of delinquent behaviour?

Methods:  

N=44 study. All the cases were referred to one of the authors, who acted as an expert witness in the relevant court cases. Afterwards the cases were analysed in different respects, such as demographic data, type of delinquent behaviour, age at the time of diagnosis, co-morbid disorders, intelligence, concomitant circumstances, earlier behaviour and clinical assessment. The data found were compared with data from all suspects seen by expert witnesses in their court cases from 2004-2006 and data from ASD suspects during that same period (data collected by Blansjaar e.a., 2008)

Results:  

Most of de subjects were high-functioning. Only three of them lived in sheltered quarters. Eleven of them were still going to school or college, fifteen had their own income by work. Although 35 of them were at one time taken into mental health care, only 19 were diagnosed with ASD. The others were classified differently, mainly ODD or personality disorders. 36 had shown problematic behaviour preceding the delinquent behaviour.

In contradiction to what is written in literature, arson is hardly more often committed by people with ASD than by others suspects. Six cases were suspected of stalking.

Conclusions:  

Violence-related: suspects with ASD do not use more violence than other suspects, neither in adolescence nor in adulthood. The violence used is relatively less serious: more threats and slightly violent behaviour; fewer life attempts.

Sex-related: between 2004 and 2006 the occurrence of sexual offences in de ASD group is more frequent than in the total group. In our research group the percentage of sexual offences is even higher. This might be a result of a relatively new crime such as “cybersex” and increased police vigilance concerning child pornography downloading, which is a crime in The Netherlands. Shortly before the crime is committed certain problems often occur, especially obsessions, loneliness and idleness.