NCJ Number
91228
Date Published
1983
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This longitudinal study of a sample of male offenders identifies psychopaths and compares their criminal careers to those of the nonpsychopaths.
Abstract
The data were obtained from the criminal records of several hundred predominantly white male criminals who participated in at least one of the psychophysiological studies in the series conducted from 1964-74 in Canada. Subjects were placed into three groups using Cleckley's criteria for diagnosing psychopathy: (1) inability to develop warm, lasting relations with others; (2) unstable, transient lifestyle; (3) inability to accept responsibility for persistent antisocial behavior; (4) absence of clinically significant intellectual or psychiatric symptoms; and (5) weak or unstable behavioral controls. The extreme groups were identified as group NP (nonpsychopaths; n=96) and group P (psychopaths; n=97). The mean age of first appearance in adult court was 18.1 for group P and 20.0 for group NP. The average length of time over which criminal history data were analyzed was 11.12 years. Group P received significantly more charges for theft, robbery, assault, possession of weapons, and escape and fewer charges for drug offenses than did group NP. Group P was generally about twice as versatile as group NP regarding criminal activity. Those in the NP group showed an early decline in criminal activity, while the criminal activity of the psychopaths continued to increase for at least 5 years after that of the NP group had begun to decline. Tabular and graphic data and 11 references are provided.