Pervasive developmental disorders and criminal behaviour: a case control study.
The prevalence and pattern of criminal behaviour in a population of 313 former child psychiatric in-patients with pervasive developmental disorders were studied. The patients were divided into three subgroups and compared with 933 matched controls from the general population. Age at follow-up was between 25 years and 59 years. An account of convictions in the nationwide Danish Register of Criminality was used as a measure of criminal behaviour. Among 113 cases with childhood autism, .9% had been convicted. In atypical autism (n=86) and Asperger's syndrome (n=114) the percentages were 8.1% and 18.4%, respectively. The corresponding rate of convictions in the comparison groups was 18.9%, 14.7%, and 19.6% respectively. Particular attention is given to arson in Asperger's syndrome (p= .0009).
Mouridsen
Svend Erik
SE
Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. sem01@bbh.hosp.dk
Rich
Bente
B
Isager
Torben
T
Nedergaard
Niels Jørgen
NJ
D000328:Adult; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005391:Firesetting Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data