Offending by adults with learning disabilities and the attitudes of staff to offending behaviour: implications for service development

摘要

The aims of this study were: (1) to identify all adults with learning disabilities living in residential homes or attending day services in the Cambridge Health District in contact with the criminal justice system during 1992; (2) to evaluate the responses of services involved; and (3) to investigate the attitudes of staff and the policies of the services to 'offending behaviour". Details of offences committed and the response of the police, health and social services, and other agencies were obtained by direct interview with the senior staff and through examination of case records. The attitudes of staff to offending behaviour was investigated by the use of a semi-structured questionnaire. Seven (2%) out of 358 adults with learning disabilities were reported to have had contact with the police during 1992. The eight offences allegedly committed by the seven people were two acquisitive offences, two sexual offences, one assault, one wasting of police time, one offence against the Public Order Act arvd one traffic offence. One offender was cautioried after the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case because of lack of evidence, while the other alleged offenders received