Autistic Females Vulnerable to Crime: Study

Autistic females were at 32 percent greater odds of being the victim of a crime, while adult males were almost twice as likely to be stopped and questioned by police, and arrested or charged, according to a Drexel University study.

Research from the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University on the experiences of autistic individuals and their caregivers across their interactions with the criminal justice system in Pennsylvania has found, among other conclusions, an increased risk for interaction with the justice system, including being male and having a co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis, reports Psych.org.

Researchers say their findings should lead to increased support to prevent these unwanted outcomes for autistic individuals.

“These findings are impactful because they come directly from the voices of autistic individuals and their families,” said Kaitlin Koffer Miller, lead author of the study and director of Policy Impact in the Policy and Analytics Center in the Autism Institute.

“Understanding the type and scope of justice interaction helps to plan for and address issues that could prevent future interactions of all types.”

Having a psychiatric co-occurring diagnosis was associated with about 2.7 times the odds of any justice system interaction and 2.4 times the odds of being a victim of a crime among autistic individuals.

Among caregiver respondents, having an annual household income greater than $40,000 were protective against being a victim of a crime.

The research team explained that increasing access for autistic individuals to home and community-based services and supports can prevent or mitigate interactions between autistic individuals and the justice system, both as victims and offenders.

The study, published in the Crime & Delinquency journal,  is available for purchase here.