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Margari A, De Agazio G, Marzulli L, Piarulli FM, Mandarelli G, Catanesi R, Carabellese FF, Cortese S. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sexual offending: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105687. [PMID: 38685290 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
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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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Margari
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Gabriele De Agazio
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Lucia Marzulli
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Maria Piarulli
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Gabriele Mandarelli
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Catanesi
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Felice Francesco Carabellese
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.
| | - Samuele Cortese
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Clinical and Experimental Sciences (CNS and Psychiatry), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Solent NHS Trust, Southampton, UK; Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York University Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA; DiMePRe-J-Department of Precision and Rigenerative Medicine-Jonic Area, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
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