NCJ Number
205722
Journal
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 148-160
Editor(s)
Tory J. Caeti,
Eric J. Fritsch
Date Published
April 2004
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article examines the relationship between psychopathy and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among adolescent male offenders.
Abstract
This study conducted three sets of analyses to investigate the relationship between psychopathy and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): (1) comparison of psychopathy scores of youth with and without a diagnosis of ADHD; (2) institutional aggression; and (3) violent criminal behavior. Two primary research questions were addressed in a juvenile offender population: (1) what is the relationship between ADHD and ratings of youth psychopathy and (2) how does the presence of ADHD influence the relationship between psychopathy and violent behavior? Particpants included 122 male adolescents, ages 13 to 18 years, incarcerated in the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, Reception and Diagnostic Center. The study found evidence of a weak relationship between psychopathy and ADHD. Indicators of ADHD had a negligible effect on the prediction of violent behavior in comparison to ratings of juvenile psychopathy. The weak association between ADHD and psychopathy that was found indirectly supports the discriminant validity of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) or the first analysis comparing psychopathy scores of youth with and without a diagnosis of ADHD. References