Correlates of Police Involvement Among Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

This study aimed to describe police interactions, satisfaction with police engagement, as well as examine correlates of police involvement among 284 adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) followed over a 12- to 18-month period. Approximately 16% of individuals were reported to have some form of police involvement during the study period. Aggressive behaviors were the primary concern necessitating police involvement. Individuals with police involvement were more likely to be older, have a history of aggression, live outside the family home, and have parents with higher rates of caregiver strain and financial difficulty at baseline. Most parents reported being satisfied to very satisfied with their children's police encounters. Areas for future research are discussed in relation to prevention planning.

The Witness-Aimed First Account (WAFA): A new technique for interviewing autistic witnesses and victims

“…However, currently there exists no alternative theoretically driven, legally appropriate interview framework to elicit more complete and accurate information about what they have experienced. This is concerning because autistic individuals are disproportionately more likely to be questioned by police than TD individuals ( Brown-Lavoie et al, 2014 ; Chaplin & Mukhopadhyay, 2018 ; Heeramun et al, 2017 ; Lindblad & Lainpelto, 2011 ; Rava et al, 2017 ; Tint et al, 2017 , 2019 ; Weiss & Fardella, 2018 ). The aim of this research was to test a novel interview technique that offered autistic individuals support in a way that guided them more concretely through their recall attempts.…”

“…Core characteristics of ASD, such as difficulty in gauging social interactions and understanding the thoughts and intentions of others, have been linked to an increased risk of coming into contact with police as a victim/witness 1 or suspect (e.g. Brown-Lavoie et al, 2014 ; Chaplin & Mukhopadhyay, 2018 ; Heeramun et al, 2017 ; Lindblad & Lainpelto, 2011 ; Rava et al, 2017 ; Tint et al, 2017 , 2019 ; Weiss & Fardella, 2018 ). However, knowledge is currently limited regarding how best to interview autistic individuals in order to elicit the most complete and accurate information about what they have experienced.…”

Mock Juror Perceptions of Credibility and Culpability in an Autistic Defendant

“…Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by impairments in social communication and interaction, and restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests (American Psychiatric Association 2013). For a small minority of individuals, characteristics linked to clinical features of the disorder may be associated with engagement with the police and criminal justice system (CJS) as an offender (e.g., Cheely et al 2012; Heeramun et al 2017; Helverschou et al 2015; King and Murphy 2014; Lunsky et al 2018; Mouridsen 2012; Rava et al 2017; Tint et al 2017; Turcotte et al 2017; Vohra et al 2016; Woodbury-Smith and Dein 2014). 1 For example, obsessional or circumscribed interests and behaviours (e.g., Barry-Walsh and Mullen 2004; Chen et al 2003; Hare et al 1999; Haskins and Silva 2006; Helverschou et al 2015; Woodbury-Smith et al 2010), misinterpretation of rules (Allen et al 2008), failing to recognise the consequences of one’s actions (Howlin 2004), interpersonal naivety and poor social awareness (Haskins and Silva 2006; Murrie et al 2002), idiosyncratic interpretation of people and events (Helverschou et al 2015; Katz and Zemishlany 2006; Woodbury-Smith et al 2005), challenging behaviours (Tint et al 2017), sensory sensitivities (Katz and Zemishlany 2006; Mawson et al 1985) and difficulties relating to empathy (Bjørkly 2009; Murrie et al 2002), emotion recognition (Woodbury-Smith et al 2005), impulse control and emotional dysregulation (Lerner et al 2012) have all been implicated in various cases of autistic offending.…”

“…For some individuals, precipitating factors such as family issues, a deterioration in mental health, disruption to routine, stress, or sensory overload (Allen et al 2008; Helverschou et al 2018; Mouridsen et al 2008) may act on predisposing factors such as social naivete´, lack of awareness over consequences of one’s actions, impulsivity, or obsessional interests to result in offences such as unintentional acts of aggression (Cheely et al 2012; Helverschou et al 2015; Lerner et al 2012; Tint et al 2017; but see; Ghaziuddin et al 1991). For example, Allen et al (2008) describe qualitative findings from a small sample of autistic offenders indicating that violent or destructive behaviours were almost always precipitated by an accumulation of stress, exacerbated by maladaptive coping strategies.…”

“…For example, Allen et al (2008) describe qualitative findings from a small sample of autistic offenders indicating that violent or destructive behaviours were almost always precipitated by an accumulation of stress, exacerbated by maladaptive coping strategies. Tint et al (2017) followed a large sample of autistic youth and adults over a 12–18-month period and reported that 16% had some form of police involvement during this time, with physical or verbal aggression towards others in the community the most frequent reason for contact (e.g., threatening to harm a teacher at school). It is important to note, however, that co-occurring psychiatric conditions also play a role in many cases of violent offending in ASD (Allen et al 2008; Haw et al 2013; Helverschou et al 2015; Långström et al 2009; Newman and Ghaziuddin 2008).…”