NCJ Number
55254
Date Published
1978
Length
34 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOPATHY AND CRIME, THE INCIDENCE OF PSYCHOPATHY IN PRISON POPULATIONS, FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LACK OF INHIBITION AGAINST VIOLENCE, AND THE PREDICTION OF DANGEROUSNESS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
LITERATURE REVIEWS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF STUDIES ARE USED TO SUPPORT EACH TOPIC. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT THE TERM 'PSYCHOPATH' HAS A SPECIFIC MEANING, BUT IT IS OFTEN MISUSED BY WRITERS IN THE FIELD OF PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY, AND SOCIOLOGY. THE MOST OUTSTANDING FEATURE OF THE CLUSTER OF BEHAVIORS DEFINED AS PSYCHOPATHY IS AN ALMOST TOTAL LACK OF EMPATHY AND AFFECTION FOR OTHERS COUPLED WITH AN ABSENCE OF ANY GENUINE INDICATIONS OF GUILT OR ANXIETY FOR PERSISTENT ASOCIAL AND AMORAL BEHAVIOR. STUDIES HAVE FOUND THAT MOST CRIMINALS ARE NOT PSYCHOPATHS AND THAT MANY PSYCHOPATHS AVOID INCARCERATION, OFTEN ENTERING PROFESSIONS OR OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE THEIR SELF-SERVING BEHAVIOR IS COVERED UP OR EVEN CONDONED. SCALES FOR DIAGNOSING PSYCHOPATHY ARE REVIEWED. USING ONE SUCH SCALE A RESEARCHER FOUND THAT 16 PERCENT OF 199 WHITE MALES ARRESTED FOR THEIR FIRST FELONY COULD BE DIAGNOSED AS PSYCHOPATHIC. OTHER STUDIES HAVE FOUND CLUSTERS OF CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH VIOLENT PSYCHOPATHIC BEHAVIOR. VIOLENT CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATHS WERE FIRST CONVICTED IN ADULT COURT AT AN EARLIER AGE, SPENT MORE TIME IN PRISON, WERE CONVICTED OF MORE CRIMES, USED MORE ALIASES, AND BROKE OUT OF PRISON MORE OFTEN THAN NONPSYCHOPATHIC OFFENDERS. STUDIES ALSO INDICATE THAT THEIR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY PEAKS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 THROUGH 35. DATA FROM A NUMBER OF STUDIES ARE SUMMARIZED AND TABLES PRESENTING THE STATISTICS ARE APPENDED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CONCEPT OF PSYCHOPATHY IS SUPERFLUOUS IN UNDERSTANDING AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR BUT THAT IT IS VALUABLE IN PREDICTING FUTURE DANGEROUSNESS. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)