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Sexual Offending and ASD

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Handbook of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law

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Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the rather limited information on sexual offending by people with ASD. Limited, and often contradictory, research on this topic points to the need for more rigorous study to understand risks. Concepts that can contribute to misunderstanding, such as counterfeit deviance are discussed, as are features associated with ASD that may make certain individuals more likely to commit a sexual offense.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Rachel Loftin

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  1. Rachel Loftin
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Correspondence to Rachel Loftin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center and Autism Center of Excellence, Yale University and Southern Conn. State University, New Haven, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA

    Rachel Loftin

  3. Division of Law and Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA

    Alexander Westphal

  4. Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Marc Woodbury-Smith

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Loftin, R. (2021). Sexual Offending and ASD. In: Volkmar, F.R., Loftin, R., Westphal, A., Woodbury-Smith, M. (eds) Handbook of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70913-6_12

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