Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sexual offending: a systematic review
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sexual offending: a systematic review
The relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sexual offending (SO) is an overlooked issue, both in clinical practice and in research. Based on a pre-specified protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42024501598), we systematically searched Pubmed and Scopus, between January 1st, 1994 and January 12th, 2024, for articles related to SO in ASD. Study quality was assessed with study design-specific tools (Study Quality Assessment Tools, NHLBI, NIH). We found 19 relevant publications (five cross-sectional studies, two case-control studies, and 12 case reports). Seven of the studies were deemed of “good” quality, the rest as “fair”. Included studies addressed three key aspects: 1) psychopathological characteristics of individuals with ASD that increase the risk of committing SO; 2) intervention strategies for individuals with ASD and SO; 3) involvement of individuals with ASD and SO in the justice system. Overall, while there is an increasing interest in this topic, more rigorous study designs, including randomised controlled trials, are needed to inform clinical practice and healthcare and social policies.
Margari, Anna
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De Agazio, Gabriele
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Marzulli, Lucia
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Piarulli, Francesco Maria
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Mandarelli, Gabriele
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Catanesi, Roberto
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Francesco Carabellese, Felice
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Cortese, Samuele
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6 May 2024
Margari, Anna
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De Agazio, Gabriele
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Marzulli, Lucia
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Piarulli, Francesco Maria
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Mandarelli, Gabriele
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Catanesi, Roberto
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Francesco Carabellese, Felice
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Cortese, Samuele
53d4bf2c-4e0e-4c77-9385-218350560fdb
Margari, Anna, De Agazio, Gabriele, Marzulli, Lucia, Piarulli, Francesco Maria, Mandarelli, Gabriele, Catanesi, Roberto, Francesco Carabellese, Felice and Cortese, Samuele
(2024)
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sexual offending: a systematic review.
Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews, 162, [105687].
(doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105687).
Abstract
The relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sexual offending (SO) is an overlooked issue, both in clinical practice and in research. Based on a pre-specified protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42024501598), we systematically searched Pubmed and Scopus, between January 1st, 1994 and January 12th, 2024, for articles related to SO in ASD. Study quality was assessed with study design-specific tools (Study Quality Assessment Tools, NHLBI, NIH). We found 19 relevant publications (five cross-sectional studies, two case-control studies, and 12 case reports). Seven of the studies were deemed of “good” quality, the rest as “fair”. Included studies addressed three key aspects: 1) psychopathological characteristics of individuals with ASD that increase the risk of committing SO; 2) intervention strategies for individuals with ASD and SO; 3) involvement of individuals with ASD and SO in the justice system. Overall, while there is an increasing interest in this topic, more rigorous study designs, including randomised controlled trials, are needed to inform clinical practice and healthcare and social policies.
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sexual offending
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Accepted/In Press date: 21 April 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 27 April 2024
Published date: 6 May 2024
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 492905
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/492905
ISSN: 0149-7634
PURE UUID: 90e805fc-1a81-4900-b6e6-f03f8ce12df6
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Date deposited: 20 Aug 2024 16:33
Last modified: 21 Aug 2024 01:47
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Contributors
Author:
Anna Margari
Author:
Gabriele De Agazio
Author:
Lucia Marzulli
Author:
Francesco Maria Piarulli
Author:
Gabriele Mandarelli
Author:
Roberto Catanesi
Author:
Felice Francesco Carabellese
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