Identifying Awareness of Early Offending Behavior in Adolescents with Autism/ADHD
Holmqvist, Mona LU
(2026)
In Education Sciences
16(3).
- Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore how adolescents in self-contained classrooms or schools for students with autism or ADHD, with no prior involvement in criminality, perceive and interpret different forms of early offending behavior through fictional case stories. The study specifically aims to examine their ability to discern what constitutes offending behavior, based on the double empathy problem. In total, 13 participants currently receiving secondary-level education (grades 10–12, aged 16–20 years) in self-contained classes at schools for adolescents with autism or ADHD participated. No student had cognitive disabilities or had been involved in any criminal act or criminal justice issues. The students were individually given... (More)
The purpose of this study is to explore how adolescents in self-contained classrooms or schools for students with autism or ADHD, with no prior involvement in criminality, perceive and interpret different forms of early offending behavior through fictional case stories. The study specifically aims to examine their ability to discern what constitutes offending behavior, based on the double empathy problem. In total, 13 participants currently receiving secondary-level education (grades 10–12, aged 16–20 years) in self-contained classes at schools for adolescents with autism or ADHD participated. No student had cognitive disabilities or had been involved in any criminal act or criminal justice issues. The students were individually given three fictional written cases of offending behavior (theft, physical assault, and sexual assault). Audio-recorded stimulated recall interviews were obtained while the students solved tasks in relation to the cases, and these were analyzed to capture whether and what aspects of early offending were discerned. Overall, the results indicated limited awareness and enhanced social vulnerability, risking unwitting engagement in early offending behavior. Adapting social science education to students’ special educational needs to understand social interactions might be used to prevent and enhance their awareness of early offending behavior.
(Less)
- author
- Holmqvist, Mona
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- ADHD, autism, early offending behavior awareness, preventive education
- in
- Education Sciences
- volume
- 16
- issue
- 3
- article number
- 381
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105034009805
- ISSN
- 2227-7102
- DOI
- 10.3390/educsci16030381
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2026 by the author.
- id
- 437cf54c-b643-42a5-ba9b-e9a393f5f347
- date added to LUP
- 2026-05-25 14:42:54
- date last changed
- 2026-05-25 14:43:25
@article{437cf54c-b643-42a5-ba9b-e9a393f5f347,
abstract = {{<p>The purpose of this study is to explore how adolescents in self-contained classrooms or schools for students with autism or ADHD, with no prior involvement in criminality, perceive and interpret different forms of early offending behavior through fictional case stories. The study specifically aims to examine their ability to discern what constitutes offending behavior, based on the double empathy problem. In total, 13 participants currently receiving secondary-level education (grades 10–12, aged 16–20 years) in self-contained classes at schools for adolescents with autism or ADHD participated. No student had cognitive disabilities or had been involved in any criminal act or criminal justice issues. The students were individually given three fictional written cases of offending behavior (theft, physical assault, and sexual assault). Audio-recorded stimulated recall interviews were obtained while the students solved tasks in relation to the cases, and these were analyzed to capture whether and what aspects of early offending were discerned. Overall, the results indicated limited awareness and enhanced social vulnerability, risking unwitting engagement in early offending behavior. Adapting social science education to students’ special educational needs to understand social interactions might be used to prevent and enhance their awareness of early offending behavior.</p>}},
author = {{Holmqvist, Mona}},
issn = {{2227-7102}},
keywords = {{ADHD; autism; early offending behavior awareness; preventive education}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{Education Sciences}},
title = {{Identifying Awareness of Early Offending Behavior in Adolescents with Autism/ADHD}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/educsci16030381}},
doi = {{10.3390/educsci16030381}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2026}},
}