NCJ Number
223658
Journal
Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: 2008 Pages: 186-197
Date Published
2008
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This literature review relevant to psychopathy in juveniles highlights several unresolved questions that seriously limit the utility of its diagnosis in clinical and forensic decisionmaking.
Abstract
There are a number of reasons why the construct of psychopathy is not suitable for assessments of juveniles. First, very little is known about the long-term stability of scores on the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV). Second, although PCL:YV scores are modestly related to "bad outcomes" in the aggregate, the strength of this effect varies significantly across studies. Third, to date there is limited evidence that the PCL:YV is a clinically useful tool for female or minority adolescents. Fourth, although reliable for research purposes, little is known about the field reliability of the PCL:YV in adversarial settings. The aforementioned uncertainties about the reliability of psychopathy assessments of youth is heightened by the potentially stigmatizing power of the "psychopath" label. Research suggests that the traits associated with psychopathy can have a pronounced impact on how juveniles are viewed by mental health and criminal justice professionals. Although the authors do not call for a moratorium on the application of the PCL:YV in forensic contexts, they advise that clinicians who plan to use this measure to inform opinions and recommendations they provide to the juvenile or adult justice system should consider the pragmatic implications of the current gaps in the knowledge base regarding this construct and how it is used in critical decisionmaking in the justice system. 42 references