Psychopathy and offence severity in sexually aggressive and violent youth

Crim Behav Ment Health. 2009;19(4):247-52. doi: 10.1002/cbm.735.

Abstract

Background: A large proportion of violent crimes are committed by youths. Youths with psychopathic traits may have a higher risk for recidivism and violence.

Aims/hypotheses: Our aim was to compare sexually aggressive with violent young men on offence severity and psychopathy. Three hypotheses were proposed: first, young men with previous offences would display a progressive increase in seriousness of offence during their criminal career; secondly, the sexually aggressive and violent young men would not differ in scores on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV); but, thirdly, PCL:YV scores would be positively correlated with the severity of the index crime, as measured by the Cormier-Lang System for Quantifying Criminal History.

Methods: Information was collected from the files of 40 young men in conflict with the law, and the PCL:Youth Version (YV) rated from this by trained raters.

Results: The offences of these young men became more serious over time, but we found no association between PCL:YV scores and offence type or seriousness.

Conclusions and implications: This exploratory research suggests the importance of understanding the progression in offending careers, but a limited role for the PCL:YV in doing so. Given the small sample size, however, and the limit on access to information about details of age, the findings need replication.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology
  • Aggression / psychology
  • Crime / psychology*
  • Criminal Psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Psychological Tests
  • Psychopathology
  • Sex Offenses / psychology*
  • Violence / psychology*
  • Young Adult