Citation

Søndenaa E, Helverschou SB, Steindal K, Rasmussen K, Nilson B, Nøttestad JA. Psychol. Rep. 2014; 115(1): 32-43.

Affiliation

St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway and University College Sør-Trøndelag, Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.2466/16.15.PR0.115c16z5

PMID

25073065

Abstract

Summary.-The increased awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) over the last few decades as well as the potential association between ASD and offending behaviors has spurred a need for increased research in this area. In order to explore any possible relationship between ASD and violent or sexual crime the present study examines all forensic examination reports over a 10-yr. period in Norway where the charged persons were diagnosed with ASD and charged with either a violent (N = 21) or a sexual (N = 12) offense. Differences between these two groups regarding previous contact with child welfare and confessions to the offense were found. There was also a tendency toward more severe mental health problems and less intellectual problems among the violent offenders than the sexual offenders.

Language: en