Offending and clinical characteristics of adults with autism spectrum disorder: Experience at forensic psychiatry center in Türkiye between 2012 and 2022

Abstract

The forensic and clinical need for better understanding of criminal offending in adults with ASD is increasingly recognized. To date, few studies have examined the differences and similarities between criminal offenders with and without ASD with respect to demographics, offending profiles, and clinical characteristics. This study, conducted in Turkey, is the first to conduct such as comparison using a national database of forensic files. Computerized search of the forensic records of 11,853 adults assessed between January 1, 2012, and January 1, 2022, for criminal responsibility by the Turkish Council of Forensic Medicine found 74 adults diagnosed with ASD; they ranged in age from 18 to 40. [Correction added after first online publication on 04 December 2024. The value 11,583 has been revised to 11,853.] The demographic, clinical, and offending characteristics of these adults were compared to 100 adults without ASD selected from the remaining 11,779 records based on age (18–40 years) and year of assessment (10 from each year). The ASD group was younger, more likely to be unemployed and not living on their own. The ASD group was more likely to have co-morbid intellectual disability, ADHD, and OCD, while the non-ASD group was more likely to have co-morbid personality disorders, The ASD group was more likely to commit unplanned simple (non-penetrative) sexual and violent offenses against strangers; the non-ASD group was more likely to commit planned, qualified (penetrative) crimes against known persons. Impulsivity and manipulability were more often contributory in persons with ASD; revenge was more often contributory in persons without ASD. Adults with ASD were more likely to commit crimes on social media. In conclusion, this study found that adult offenders with and without ASD differed in demographics, psychiatric co-morbidities, and types of offending behaviors. These differences may have implications for the prevention of criminal offending in persons with ASD and addressing their needs once they are in the criminal justice system.