Beware of over-generalization: Autism wrongly associated with criminality
August 7, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Crime, Language, Media, Psychology, Stereotypes
Piecing together serial killer puzzle, an article in the July 28th Rocky Mountain News (CO), referred to an ongoing study by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Arturo Silva.
He is in the middle of a study of 50 of the nation’s most prolific killers. He says he has spotted something intriguing: autism.
Not in all, he says, but some. And many of the others are borderline.
According to Dr. Silva’s study, individuals with autism are to be associated with serial killers like Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader.
Psychologists Nancy Cason and Sandy Shaw make it clear that this linking of autistic individuals with such criminals is “shocking” in a letter published today:
The article was vague in conveying any understanding of autism at all and the comparison seemed nothing more than a sweeping generalization taking advantage of the fact that autism has been in the news a lot lately.
…..
Yes, some people with autism can be obsessive. Yes, some people with autism can be aggressive. And, of course, they have problems with social functioning. But it is an incredible leap in logic to make a connection between autism, a developmental disorder, and the types of personality disorders that lead some people to kill.
Thanks to Dr. Cason and Dr. Shaw for responding to such “irresponsible reporting on the basis of one unfounded hypothesis.”
Go here to read the full text of Speakout: Criminality, autism incomparable.
Jeff Stimpson
Jill Cornfield
Cho Seung-Hui apparently had autism.
Even if he did have autism that was most likely not what caused him to kill. The people I know my daughter included even though at times can be very aggressive. It is not thought through it is a reaction to her environment a fight flight response. When she realizes that she has hurt someone that is not her intent. I imagine that even if he was autistic he had other emotional and psychiatric issues as well.
How trustorthy is this Dr Artuor Silva?
He appears quickly to ascribe A.S. to serial killers like Dahmer and Bundy, and terrorists like Ted Kaczinski .
Back in the 90’s the syndrome of ADDas being apllied to all sorts of miscreant behavior such as Michael Fay’s defence for his vandalism and hooliganism when he was about to get his ass whipped as punishment .
Now with recent reports of a rise in Autism, it may be fasionable to relate Asperger to all sorts of horrif violent events, like the Virgina Tech shooting .
There was a remark on Geraldo Reviera show that that that young man Cho suffered from AS .
Could someone here get back to me with some more info about this Dr Silva ?
How professional is he ?
Is he a showman know-it-all armchair-theorist opportunist like Greenberg ?
Dee: There are some comments from Dr. Silva in the discussion about Cho in this post.
http://www.autismvox.com/on-some-comments-about-cho-seung-hui/