Are Mental Health, Family and Childhood Adversity, Substance Use and Conduct Problems Risk Factors for Offending in Autism?
Katy-Louise Payne, K L Maras, A J Russell and 1 others
PMID 32915355WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic offenders reported more total risk factors for offending than non-offenders and typically developed offenders.
However, no single factor like substance use or childhood adversity clearly separated autistic offenders from other groups, suggesting a complex accumulation of risks rather than one specific cause.
Key findings
01Autistic offenders had significantly higher total scores on the Offending Risk Factors Questionnaire compared to both autistic and typically developed non-offenders, and borderline higher scores compared to typically developed offenders.
02Mental health risk factors were significantly higher in autistic offenders compared to both typically developed offenders and typically developed non-offenders.
03Substance use risk factors did not significantly differ between any of the four groups (autistic offenders, autistic non-offenders, typically developed offenders, typically developed non-offenders).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
All risk factor data (mental health, childhood adversity, substance use, conduct problems) were self-reported, which may be less accurate than clinical records. The study used a new questionnaire (ORFQ) developed by the authors, so its reliability and validity are not established in wider literature. Diagnoses for offenders were confirmed by Criminal Justice System staff rather than independent research assessments. The sample was all-male, limiting generalisability to women. The cross-sectional design cannot prove that these risk factors caused offending; it only shows an association. IQ scores differed between groups, and while analyses controlled for IQ, this adjustment requires caution.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by the Economic and Social Research Council and the University of Northampton.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that autism itself is a direct risk factor for offending. The study found that autistic offenders had higher accumulated risk factors (like mental health issues and conduct problems) compared to non-offenders, but substance use did not differentiate the groups, and no single factor uniquely explained offending in autism compared to typically developed offenders.