Examining ethnic differences in self-reported psychopathic traits among Portuguese male Juvenile offenders (original) (raw)
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Examining Ethnic Differences in Self-Reported Psychopathic Traits Among
The aim of the present study was to analyze differences regarding psychopathic traits and related constructs in male youths of diverse ethnic backgrounds. The participants were 216 male youths from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice (White Europeans group: n = 108; ethnic minorities group: n = 108). Psychopathy was measured by the Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Child and Adolescent Taxon Scale. The results showed that no differences were found between ethnic groups regarding psychopathic traits and psychopathy taxon. Independent of ethnic group membership, psychopathic trait scores were significantly associated with behavioral problems, conduct disorder, self-reported delinquency, seriousness of criminal activity, age of criminal activity onset, and age at first trouble with the law. The present study adds support to the literature regarding youth psychopathic traits and supports the psychopathy construct as universally and interculturally consistent.
Juvenile Delinquency and Psychopathic Traits: An Empirical Study With Portuguese Adolescents
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 2012
The objective of the present study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in juvenile delinquency. Using a sample of 543 young males from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice and from schools in the Lisbon region, a group of high psychopathic traits (n = 281) and a group of low psychopathic traits (n = 262) were formed based on the Portuguese version of Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD). Results showed that youths with high psychopathic traits start engaging in criminal activities earlier in life, come into contact with the justice system earlier in life, and have higher levels of conduct disorder, behavior problems, and delinquent behaviors as well as lower levels of self-esteem.
Psychopathic traits and ethnicity in female youths
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 2014
The aim of the present study was to analyze the differences regarding psychopathic traits and related constructs in female youths of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Using a sample of 88 young females from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice (white Europeans group: n ¼ 44, ethnic minorities group: n ¼ 44), and a sample of 130 young females from the schools of the Lisbon region (white Europeans group: n ¼ 65, ethnic minorities group: n ¼ 65) results showed that almost no differences were found within the forensic group and the school group. Independently of ethnic group membership, psychopathic traits scores were significantly associated with behavioral problems, conduct disorder, self-reported delinquency, crime seriousness, age of crime onset, and age at first trouble with the law.
Psychopathic traits and age of crime onset in male juvenile delinquents
European Journal of Criminology, 2014
The aim of this study was to examine the role of psychopathic traits in the crime onset age of male juvenile delinquents. A group of early crime onset (n = 102), a group of late crime onset (n = 102), and a non-delinquent group (n = 102) were formed from a sample of 306 male youths from Portuguese juvenile detention centres and schools. Results showed that early crime onset participants scored higher on psychopathic measures, self-reported delinquency, crime seriousness and conduct disorder than late crime onset participants, and the non-delinquent participants. Psychopathic-traits scores showed significant associations with age of crime onset, age at first encounter with the law, age of first incarceration, self-reported delinquency, seriousness of crime and conduct disorder. W = Welch's ANOVA; χ 2 KW = Kruskal-Wallis; M = mean; SD = standard deviation; MR = mean rank; IR = interquartile range.
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 2014
The main aim of the present study was to examine some psychometric properties of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) among Portuguese juvenile delinquents. With forensic sample of 192 incarcerated male participants, the Portuguese version of the PCL:YV demonstrated promising psychometric properties of the three-factor model of youth psychopathy, internal consistency, convergent validity, concurrent validity, and retrospective validity that generally justify its use among Portuguese youths. Statistically significant associations were found with age of criminal onset, frequency of crimes, number of victims, and use of physical violence.
Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 2017
This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short version (YPI-S) among a mixed-gender sample of 782 Portuguese youth (M=15.87 years; SD=1.72) collected in a school context. Confirmatory factor analysis offered support for the expected 3-factor structure. Partial cross-gender measurement invariance and cross-sample measurement invariance of the YPI-S using a forensic sample of institutionalized males was established. The Portuguese version of the YPI-S showed adequate psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, mean inter-item correlation, corrected item-total correlation, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. In support for criterion-related validity, the YPI-S also showed statistically significant associations with self-reported conduct disorder symptoms, alcohol abuse, and drug use. In terms of known-groups validity, males from the school sample scored lower than males from the forensic sample and higher than females from the school sample. The YPI-S seems to be a valuable brief and psychometrically reliable and valid self-report measure, which can be used to assess psychopathic traits in diverse samples of youth.
The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory -Short version (YPI-S) among Portuguese juvenile delinquents within a forensic sample of 221 incarcerated males (ages 13-20 years). Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported the three-factor structure of the YPI and YPI-S, and the reliability of both instruments was good for the majority of subscales and factors. The YPI and YPI-S and their subscales showed good criterion, external, and divergent validity. That is, positive associations were found with a number of external criteria including Conduct Disorder, crime seriousness, and violent crimes. Total and subscale scores on both YPI versions were positively related to the Antisocial Process Screening Device, the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits, and the Child and Adolescent Taxon Scale. Finally, both the YPI and YPI-S were mostly unrelated to the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents. Overall, the YPI-S presented less problems with reliability, but weaker relations to external correlates. These findings justify the use of the YPI and the YPI-S among incarcerated youths.
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2011
Background: Previous research provides support for the existence of the psychopathy construct in youths. However, studies regarding the psychometric properties of psychopathy measures with ethnic minority youths are lacking. Methods: In the present study, the three-factor structure of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) was examined for both native Dutch youth (N = 158) and an ethnic minority group, Moroccans (N = 141), in an incarcerated adolescent population in the Netherlands. Results: Our results showed that the three-factor structure of the YPI is comparable across an ethnic majority and an ethnic minority group in an incarcerated sample in the Netherlands. Moreover, associations between psychopathic traits and mental health problems were similar for both ethnic groups. Conclusion: The results support the cross-ethnic generalizability of the three-factor model of psychopathy as measured through the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory.
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2019
The present study examines the utility of three self-report measures of psychopathic traits in predicting recidivism among a sample of incarcerated male juvenile offenders. Participants ( N = 214, M = 16.40 years, SD = 1.29 years) from seven Portuguese juvenile detention centers were followed and prospectively classified as recidivists versus non-recidivists. Area under the curve (AUC) analysis revealed that the Antisocial Process Screening Device–Self-Report (APSD-SR) presented the best performance in terms of predicting general recidivism, with the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and the Childhood and Adolescent Taxon Scale–Self-Report (CATS-SR) presenting much poorer results. However, logistic regression models controlling for past frequency of crimes and age of first incarceration found that none of these self-report measures significantly predicted 1- or 3-year recidivism, whether general or violent. Findings suggest there are limitations in terms of the incremental u...