What Works: Assessing Psychopathy in Juveniles (From Risk Reduction: Interventions for Special Needs Offenders, P 185-222, 2002, Harry E. Allen, ed., -- See NCJ-196804)

• NCJ Number: 196809
• Author(s): Adelle E. Forth Ph.D.; Donna L. Mailloux
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 38 pages
• Sale Source: American Correctional Assoc
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This paper is an updated version of the chapter: A.E. Forth and D. L. Mailloux, 2000. Psychopathy in Youth: What Do We Know? In C. Gacono, ed. Clinical and Forensic Applications of Psychopathy.

Annotation

Assessing the personality disorder psychopathy, in juveniles, is the focus of this paper.

Abstract

In this paper, juvenile psychopathy is assessed as a personality disorder linked with anti-social behavior. After introducing the concept of psychopathy, the authors describe the psychopathy checklist, screening devices, and childhood psychopathy scales used to assess juvenile psychopathic tendencies. Discussing male incarcerated adolescents as displaying more psychopathic characteristics than incarcerated females, this paper argues that there is no significant association between juvenile psychopathy and age or juvenile psychopathy and race. After detailing the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Self-Report Psychopathy scales used to collect self-reported psychopathic tendency data, the authors review studies addressing the association between psychopathy and conduct disorder, attention deficit disorder, personality, and substance abuse, arguing that these conditions cannot be referred to interchangeably. Associating criminal conduct, violence, and recidivism with juvenile psychopathy, this paper argues that no one cluster of variables acts to develop psychopathy in adolescents. The authors conclude that early intervention is key to helping juveniles with psychopathic tendencies. References