An Exploration of Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Needs and Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Railey, Kirsten S.; Bowers-Campbell, Joy; Love, Abigail M. A.; Campbell, Jonathan M.

doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04227-2

Cited by 23 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Mental health crises will often take place in a person’s home with others, often family, present. In line with research of parents of children with psychosis,87 companions described the, often traumatic, impact of the FR response and a lack of inclusion and communication 18 24–30 33–37 39–41 43–60 62–70 74–78 81 82 86 88–104. Our findings reflect that of previous studies,105 which show that family/carers experience distress, guilt, reluctance to call FRs, fear of disproportionate use of force and relief for having FR support.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Subjective experiences of the first response to mental health crises in the community: a qualitative systematic review

2022

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ObjectiveTo review and synthesise qualitative studies that have explored subjective experiences of people with lived experience of mental health-related illness/crisis (MHC), their families and first responders.DesignA systematic review of qualitative evidence was conducted. English-language articles exploring the content of interactions and participants’ experiences were included.Data sourcesMEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL; Google Scholar, SAGE journals, Science Direct and PubMed.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers read and systematically extracted data from the included papers. Papers were appraised for methodological rigour using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist. Data were thematically analysed.ResultsWe identified 3483 unique records, 404 full-texts were assessed against the inclusion criteria and 79 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. First responders (FRs) identified in studies were police and ambulance staff. Main factors influencing response are persistent stigmatised attitudes among FRs, arbitrary training and the triadic interactions between FRs, people with mental illness and third parties present at the crisis. In addition, FR personal experience of mental illness and focused training can help create a more empathetic response, however lack of resources in mental health services continues to be a barrier where ‘frequent attenders’ are repeatedly let down by mental health services.ConclusionLack of resources in mental healthcare and rise in mental illness suggest that FR response to MHC is inevitable. Inconsistent training, complexity of procedures and persistent stigmatisation make this a very challenging task. Improving communication with family carers and colleagues could make a difference. Broader issues of legitimacy and procedural barriers should be considered in order to reduce criminalisation and ensure an empathetic response.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Subjective experiences of the first response to mental health crises in the community: a qualitative systematic review

2022

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“…Recent studies have included preliminary estimates of the prevalence of ASD among criminal justice system‐involved individuals (Rava et al, 2017; Tint, Palucka, et al, 2017) and specific types of offending behavior (Allen et al, 2008; King & Murphy, 2014; Payne et al, 2020). Others have looked at the availability and impact of criminal justice system professional knowledge and training to identify and respond to potential markers of ASD (Gardner et al, 2019; Railey et al, 2020; Teagardin et al, 2012). Further, a subset of research has examined court‐specific interventions (Berryessa, 2014, 2016; Crane et al, 2020).…”

Section: High Rates Of Criminal Justice System Contactmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Others have looked at the availability and impact of criminal justice system professional knowledge and training to identify and respond to potential markers of ASD (Gardner et al, 2019;Railey et al, 2020;Teagardin et al, 2012). Further, a subset of research has examined court-specific interventions (Berryessa, 2014(Berryessa, , 2016Crane et al, 2020).…”

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confidence: 99%

Preventing and improving interactions between autistic individuals and the criminal justice system: A roadmap for research

2021

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Researchers have identified that autistic individuals are encountering the criminal justice system as victims, offenders, and witnesses at high rates. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing and generating a comprehensive approach to addressing criminal justice system involvement among autistic individuals is a timely and urgent need. Revisions to an established framework generated for use among individuals with mental health diagnoses, the sequential Intercept Model (SIM), were produced by an international consortium of interdisciplinary stakeholders presenting a new opportunity to identify gaps in ASD research and generate preventive solutions across the criminal justice system. The revised SIM maps each criminal justice system component, or Intercept, and includes paths for the experiences of autistic individuals as victims or witnesses to crimes as well as offenders to catalyze new and interdisciplinary research, policy, and practice efforts. As the field of ASD research continues to grow, the revised SIM is a promising pathway to avoiding siloed research approaches, including diverse autistic voices, and contributing to international dialogue about criminal justice reform at a critical juncture. Lay Summary: Autistic individuals are encountering the criminal justice system as victims, offenders, and witnesses at high rates. A revised version of the SIM generated by an international consortium provides a cohesive framework to ensure research focused on this topic extends across the criminal justice system. Preventing and improving interactions between autistic individuals and the criminal justice system is an urgent research, policy, and practice need.

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“…, 2019; Shea et al , 2021; Teagardin et al. , 2012; Railey et al. , 2020a, b, c) Consistency does not yet exist across training modes (e.g.…”

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confidence: 99%

Examining the sources of police confidence when working with autistic individuals

Love

Railey²,

Jones

2022

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PurposeNot only is the prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) rising, but there has been increased attention in the media focused on interactions between autistic individuals and police officers. Research suggests that police officers report concerns regarding how to appropriately support autistic individuals during interactions due to a lack of training opportunities or general knowledge of ASD. To contribute to this emerging research, the aim of the present study was to examine what makes police officers feel more or less confident when working with autistic individuals of all ages in the capacity of their job.Design/methodology/approachIn the present study, police officers' responses (N = 317) to open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis to understand what makes police officers feel more and less confident when interacting with someone with autism.FindingsAnalysis yielded several major and minor thematic categories, which were combined into three major factors including (a) effective training, (b) malleable factors and (c) fixed factors.Originality/valueThe findings of this study provide novel insight into police officer confidence to communicate and interact with autistic individuals. This research utilized the voices of police officers to identify areas of need and themes relating to officer confidence. The findings can be immediately used to inform research and practice and to improve relationships between first responders and the autistic community.

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An Exploration of Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Needs and Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Cited by 23 publications

References 15 publications

Subjective experiences of the first response to mental health crises in the community: a qualitative systematic review

Subjective experiences of the first response to mental health crises in the community: a qualitative systematic review

Preventing and improving interactions between autistic individuals and the criminal justice system: A roadmap for research

Examining the sources of police confidence when working with autistic individuals

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