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Stalking, Autism, and the Law

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Handbook of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law

Abstract

It is an interesting paradox when a crime that can be defined both legally and perceptually (Björklund, 2010) is committed by a person with difficulties in perspective taking. Social challenges, isolation, and difficulties with considering the point of view of another person, and in particular how their behavior impacts others, may make people on the spectrum more likely to utilize stalking behaviors in an effort to secure a close social relationship. A tendency toward stalking may be exacerbated by other factors, including a discrepancy between desire for intimate relationships and the skillset required to obtain and maintain those relationships; likelihood of the victim becoming a circumscribed interest; stalking itself as a behavioral routine/ritual; and a misunderstanding of media depictions of tenacity as an effective strategy for establishing an intimate relationship (Sperry & Stokes, 2017). When a person with ASD does engage in stalking, parts of the legal system normally taken for granted can become problematic in ways that are particular to the disorder. This chapter examines the intersection of ASD and stalking with regard to risk factors and knowledge deficits that can lead to stalking, legal issues with particular significance for perpetrators with ASD, and education and treatment options to prevent initial offenses and recidivism.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Autism Services And Programs, Wheat Ridge, CO, USA

    Laurie A. Sperry

  2. School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Mark A. Stokes

  3. Assistant Federal Public Defender, District of Wyoming, Cheyenne, WY, USA

    Melanie E. Gavisk

  4. College of Contemporary Liberal Studies, Regis University, Denver, CO, USA

    David C. Gavisk

Authors
  1. Laurie A. Sperry
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  2. Mark A. Stokes
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  3. Melanie E. Gavisk
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  4. David C. Gavisk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laurie A. Sperry .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center and Autism Center of Excellence, Yale University and Southern Conn. State University, New Haven, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA

    Rachel Loftin

  3. Division of Law and Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA

    Alexander Westphal

  4. Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Marc Woodbury-Smith

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Sperry, L.A., Stokes, M.A., Gavisk, M.E., Gavisk, D.C. (2021). Stalking, Autism, and the Law. In: Volkmar, F.R., Loftin, R., Westphal, A., Woodbury-Smith, M. (eds) Handbook of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70913-6_14

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