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Juvenile justice encounters in an ASD population
Thesis

Juvenile justice encounters in an ASD population

Paul Turcotte
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), Drexel University
Jun 2014
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6114
pdf
Turcotte_Paul_20141.03 MB
PDF Access upon request, Email title, URL, or DOI to archives@drexel.edu

Abstract

Public Health
Background: Past research has shown that individuals in the juvenile justice system have high rates of behavioral and mental diagnoses. However, there are few papers that examined rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) contact with the juvenile justice system. Aims: The purpose of this study is to investigate rates of juvenile justice system contact in a population-based sample of youth with ASD, compare these rates to general population rate, examine these trends over time and describe the distribution of crimes committed by young offenders with ASD compared to the like-aged general population. Methods: Data used to identify the population with ASD were collected through enrollment in Medical Assistance and other Public Welfare programs. Youth with an ASD diagnosis between the ages of 10 and 21 in calendar years 2005 and 2011 were identified using at least one Medicaid claim for ASD in those years, and linked by a state juvenile justice office. Results: Negative binomial regression was used adjust rates for basic demographic characteristics and to contrast adjusted rates in the populations. Regression analysis showed that individuals in the ASD group were 6.13 times as likely to come into contact with the justice system and the risk of offending from 2005-2011 increased significantly. Should these patterns persist, the implication is that individuals with ASD in our sample are at a higher risk for juvenile justice system contact than the general population. More research is needed to identify the reasons behind these patterns as to appropriately inform potential policy and program recommendations.

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