Originally Appearing in AAPL Newsletter, January 2014, Vol. 39, No. 3
Hans Asperger might be surprised by the trajectory of the dis-order that bears his name. (Or, perhaps, bore his name, as it would now be called Autism Spectrum Disorder – Level 1, far less mellifluous nomenclature.)
The term is used and misused today to describe children or adults who may lack empathy, have difficulty forming relationships and trouble with social interactions, seem odd, become self-absorbed with computers and especially these days, gaming, have problems with nonverbal communication and tend to be socially isolated.
To wit: On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, of Newtown, CT, shot his mother to death in their home, and then went to a local elementary school and shot to death 20 young children and six of the staff. He then killed himself.
Authorities learned there were guns in his home and that his mother would often take him to a local shooting range. By all accounts, he was very strange and kept to himself. For example, he taped up the windows of his room and communicated with his mother – in the same house – only by email.
The media carried the news that Adam probably had Asperger Syn-drome and that would explain his violence. He was described as a ticking time bomb that had finally exploded. It was yet another example, it was said, of a mass shooting in which the person was described as odd, socially inept, absorbed in his computer and a writer of journals filled with frightening drawings and words about killing. While this is a familiar profile of those who engage in mass killings – at schools or the workplace – there are those who look for Asperger Syndrome as an explanation of the horrendous criminal behavior.
Some of the behavioral literature supports the association of Asperger Syndrome and crime. For example, Schwartz-Watts (J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 33:390-3, 2005) extensively reviewed the literature linking AS with violence. She presented three cases of AS defendants charged with murder.
Haskins and Silva (J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 34:374, 2006) reported three cases in which the perpetrator was thought to have AS: a volunteer fireman charged with capital murder, a substitute teacher accused of touching adolescent girls, and a man who “fixated on black males” and “compulsively propositioned male strangers for sex, especially in public rest rooms.” He was eventually arrested.
“The literature I reviewed and, at times, the media, have erroneously led people to believe that AS equals violence.”
The authors went on to review the literature connecting AS and criminal behavior. They concluded these papers draw a connection between AS and criminal activity ranging from serial murder to arson to other forms of violence. Quoting two papers, Haskins and Silva wrote,
“Because persons with [AS] have difficulties appreciating the subjective experiences of other persons, there may be a lack of intersubjective resonance, or empathy.” They conclude, “Preliminary findings indicate that [those with AS] are over-represented in criminal populations relative to their presence in the general population.”
Browning and Caulfied (Criminology and Criminal Justice, April 2011, vol. 11, 2;PP. 165-180) indicated more research suggesting this association needs to be conducted. Thus, they took a more neutral position.
Newman and Ghazluddin (J Autism Dev Disorder (2008) 38:1848-1852) suggested there is co-morbidity between individuals with AS, psychiatric disorders and violent crimes. They did a limited literature review to support their position.
I had a case recently involving a 17-year-old boy from the Midwest with AS. (Some details have been altered for reasons of privacy.) He was on a bus heading home from his specialized high school. He was watching an erotic site on his computer and put his hands inside his pants. A woman and her 7-year-old granddaughter noticed this and immediately informed the bus driver. He stopped the bus and radioed the police. The teenager was taken off the bus, arrested and charged with public lewdness and endangering the welfare of a minor.
In meeting with the family, I found myself asking whether there were any guns at home (no) and whether the parents had found any journals (no). They said their son, while socially delayed, was close to his family. However, he had not made any friends in school and regularly immersed himself in video games with one friend at home.
Why did I ask about guns and journals? Mainly because I wanted to assure the prosecutor and the court that the likelihood this boy would commit a violent act was nil. I wrote in my report to the court that he did not fit the profile of a mass murderer. I described his struggles throughout his life and the fact that he described remorse for what he had done on the bus and empathy for the witnesses to his behavior. There was nothing in the evaluation that would suggest sociopathy.
The literature I reviewed and, at times, the media, have erroneously led people to believe that AS equals violence. The studies concluding this have been conducted in a psychiatric and/or prison population. They do not reflect society as a whole. This has often been an error in other behavioral studies.
The Asperger’s Association of New England reports the prevalence of AS in the general population to be approximately 0.2% with a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. Estimates are that one in 500 people has AS. The population of the United States is now over three hundred million. It is clear that the vast majority of those with AS are not committing crimes, are not violent (despite playing Grand Theft Auto) and are not a danger to society. They are struggling in ways that someone without the disorder can only understand intellectually.
Let’s erase that rap sheet on Asperger Syndrome.
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