Question if violence can be a symptom of ASD.

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FranzOren
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23 Jun 2021, 11:03 pm

Wikipedia includes traits of aggressiveness as a symptom of Low functioning Autism? What does Wikipedia mean that people with Low-functioning Autism can be aggressive?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-functioning_autism



Isn’t being aggressive a form of violent behaviors?

I asked, because statistics point out that most people with ASD are ten times more likely to be victims and less likely to commit crimes than the general population. But I wander if crimes should be studied more in Low-functioning Autism, because people with Profound Autism might commit crimes without meaning to do so, because they also have Intellectual Disability that prevents them from knowing the legality of their actions.
I asked this question, because there is a study from 2012 that people with High-functioning Autism may have high probability of engaging in criminal behaviors, because of lack of empathy and social awareness. And Prof. Sam Vaknin explained that most crimes committed by people with ASD are actually violent.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-functioning_autism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GjuAdqi1nA


The problem is that other studies found that there is no link between ASD and violence, but having trait of aggressiveness is a form of violence and it is a symptom of ASD Level 3.



IsabellaLinton
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23 Jun 2021, 11:10 pm

Aggressive doesn't necessarily mean physical aggression toward others. It can mean that the person is verbally aggressive or confrontational because of impaired communication skill, sensory distress, or anxiety. It can also mean the person is aggressive toward themselves (meltdowns, self-injurious behaviour).

The definition you are looking at doesn't suggest a higher risk of criminality or physical aggression.

I took medication for my "autistic aggression" and it had nothing to do with hurting other people physically.


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FranzOren
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23 Jun 2021, 11:17 pm

Thank you! I understood. But can ASD be used as a criminal defense in rare cases if ASD is so severe?

Meaning that small-subgroup of people have Intellectual Disability with symptoms of ASD that is so profound that they don't understand what is legal and not legal to do, and people with such profound Intellectual Disability can do very risky things, including criminality, because they don't know from right and wrong. I wander if those cases can happen, but it is rare.



IsabellaLinton
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23 Jun 2021, 11:26 pm

Anything can be cited as a criminal defence. Whether it's accepted or not depends on many factors, including the testimony of court-appointed psychiatrists. I was engaged in a court case against someone eventually deemed to be a dangerous psychopath. The process of psychiatric evaluation was extremely complex and would not have been supported by any one previous diagnosis.


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FranzOren
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23 Jun 2021, 11:27 pm

It makes sense.