Journal
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
Volume 49, Issue 10, Pages 4159-4169Publisher
SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04119-5
Keywords
Cyber-dependent crime; Digital skills; Autism; Autistic-like traits; Explicit social cognition; Interpersonal support
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Funding
- National Crime Agency
- Barclays Bank
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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.
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