Browsing by Subject "psychopathy"

Objective Psychopathy is closely associated with criminality. There has been disagreement among researchers whether the psychopathy construct is applicable to children and adolescents. However, studies suggest that psychopathy is a life-long disorder. Biological, as well as environmental factors influence the development of psychopathic traits, although psychosocial risk factors of psychopathy - especially in the case of juveniles - are not well known. The first aim of the study was to examine whether adolescent's psychopathy can be predicted with seven familial and parental risk factors. The second aim was to examine whether adolescent's psychopathy can be predicted with cumulative risk. Methods The data included 14-19 year-old juvenile offenders (n=1293). Psychopathic traits were assessed with PCL: YV. Based on interviews with parents or other collateral reporters, five risk factors were assessed: parental mental problems, parental substance abuse, parental criminality, yearly household income and adolescent's history of social services. Parental monitoring and knowledge were assessed using The Parental Monitoring inventory. Cumulative risk was constructed dichotomizing each risk factor and then summing the dichotomous scores. The associations between risk factors and adolescent's psychopathic traits were examined with linear regression analysis. The association between cumulative risk and psychopathic traits were examined with ANOVA. Results and conclusions Parental mental problems, parental drug and alcohol problems, parental criminality, low parental monitoring, low parental knowledge and adolescent's history of social services predicted adolescent's psychopathy. However, after controlling the effects of other risk factors, only parental monitoring, parental knowledge and adolescent's history of social services remained significant predictors of psychopathy, as the effects of the other variables were explained by these three risk factors. Household income was not associated with adolescent's psychopathic traits. In addition, the more risk factors one had, the more he/she had psychopathic traits on average. This information can be applied in preventing psychopathy, improving treatment of psychopathy and reducing criminality.

Objectives. A relatively small group of people are responsible for disproportionate amount of offenses which cause significant monetary and societal costs. It has been important to recognize different risk and protective factors for chronic offending in youth to develop effective treatment and preventive strategies. One subgroup of offenders who commit many offenses are individuals with high psychopathic traits. However, not all psychopathic individuals commit crimes and some seem well adjusted to society. High intelligence is considered as a protective factor from chronic offending. This study examines the relationship of psychopathic traits and intelligence on juvenile delinquency with seven-year long follow up design. Methods. The data of the study was employed from the Pathways to Desistance longitudinal study which material was collected in between 2000 - 2010. The sample included all male juvenile offenders (n=1170) from the cities of Phoenix and Philadelphia in the United States of America. The participants were 14 - 19 of age at the beginning of the study and 21 - 26 at the end. Psychopathic traits were assessed with PCL:YV and intelligence with WASI. The relationship of psychopathic traits and intelligence on delinquency was examined with binary logistic regression analysis. As well as the moderating effect of intelligence on the relationship between psychopathic traits and delinquency. Delinquency was assessed separately for violent and income related crimes based on the self-report of the participants with SRO method. Results and conclusions. High psychopathic traits were related to a higher risk for both violent and income offending in every measurement year of the seven year follow up. In addition, high psychopathic traits were related to a higher risk for faster rate of recidivism and to the continuity of criminal activity. Intelligence did not have either increasing or decreasing effect on delinquency and it did not have any moderating effect on the relationship between psychopathic traits and delinquency. However, further studies are needed to examine more closely the observed relationships, possible mediating factors and other risk and protective factors for crime. The results indicate that the risk and protective factors for delinquency in youth with high psychopathic traits needs to be intervened as early as possible to achieve effective treatment and preventive results.