ERIC Number: EJ1228778
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Oct
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: N/A
Is There a Relationship between Cyber-Dependent Crime, Autistic-Like Traits and Autism?
Payne, Katy-Louise; Russell, Ailsa; Mills, Richard; Maras, Katie; Rai, Dheeraj; Brosnan, Mark
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v49 n10 p4159-4169 Oct 2019
International law enforcement agencies have reported an apparent preponderance of autistic individuals amongst perpetrators of cyber-dependent crimes, such as hacking or spreading malware (Ledingham and Mills in Adv Autism 1:1-10, 2015). However, no empirical evidence exists to support such a relationship. This is the first study to empirically explore potential relationships between cyber-dependent crime and autism, autistic-like traits, explicit social cognition and perceived interpersonal support. Participants were 290 internet users, 23 of whom self-reported being autistic, who completed an anonymous online survey. Increased risk of committing cyber-dependent crime was associated with higher autistic-like traits. A diagnosis of autism was associated with a decreased risk of committing cyber-dependent crime. Around 40% of the association between autistic-like traits and cyber-dependent crime was mediated by advanced digital skills.
Descriptors: Crime, Criminals, Autism, Information Technology, Correlation, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Social Cognition, Interpersonal Relationship, Internet, At Risk Persons, Technological Literacy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A