Autism spectrum conditions and offending: an introduction to the special edition
| Pages | 5-8 |
| Date | 01 January 2013 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JIDOB-05-2013-0012 |
| Published date | 01 January 2013 |
| Author | Eddie Chaplin,Jane McCarthy,Lisa Underwood |
| Subject Matter | Education,Health & social care,Sociology |
Autism spectrum conditions and offending:
an introduction to the special edition
Eddie Chaplin, Jane McCarthy and Lisa Underwood
Eddie Chaplin is a Visiting
Researcher at the Institute of
Psychiatry, King’s College
London, London, UK and
Research and Strategy Lead at
the South London & Maudsley
NHS Foundation Trust,
London, UK.
Jane McCarthy is Clinical
Director at St Andrew’s
Healthcare, Mansfield, UK and
Institute of Psychiatry, King’s
College London, London, UK.
Lisa Underwood is a
post-doctoral research worker
at the Institute of Psychiatry,
King’s College London,
London, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer an overview of the issues from studies that have tried to
estimate rates of offending.
Design/methodology/approach – Brief review.
Findings – There is currently no consensus on the prevalence of people with autism spectrum conditions
who offend, due to the limited evidence base. It is also difficult to generalise findings across the criminal
justice system and secure services.
Originality/value – This paper brings together a summary of key studies that have estimated the numbers
of offenders with autism spectrum conditions over the last 30 years.
Keywords Intellectual disabilities, Offending behaviour, Autism spectrum conditions, Prevalence,
Research work, Journals, Books
Paper type General review
Introduction
The prevalence of adults with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) in England is estimated at
1 per cent (Brugha et al., 2011) and from worldwide studies there is lack of evidence to suggest
differences by geographic region or any strong impact relating to culture, ethnicity or
socioeconomic status (Elsabbagh et al., 2012).
The 2010 Strategy for Adults with autsim: Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives (Department of Health,
2010)provides a framework for joint working and applies to all public services including the
Criminal Justice System with the expectation that reasonable adjustments are made for those
coming into contact with agencies.
There is, however, little research into the prevalence of ASC and offending and what has
occurred has been in highly specific samples. The issue of providing accurate estimates is
difficult for a number of reasons, including a lack of uniformity in diagnostic procedures used,
the poor evidence available relating to reliability and validity of ASC measures in forensic settings
and the difference in assessment methods and measures employed. The publication of DSM-5
(American Psychiatric Association, 2013) may further confuse matters with the disappearance
of Asperger’s syndrome (AS) as a recognised diagnosis.
The prevalence of ASC increases with greater severity of intellectual disability (Brugha et al.,
2012). By definition those who are deemed legally responsible for their actions will usually have
high-functioning autism (HFA) or AS. Many of the published studies currently available limit
themselves to people with AS.
Current evidence
People on the autistic spectrum may not fully understand the consequences of their actions, in
particular the impact they have on others. There are a number of factors that are believed to
DOI 10.1108/JIDOB-05-2013-0012 VOL. 4 NO. 1/2 2013, pp. 5-8, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8824
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JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR
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