Dimensions of impulsivity related to psychopathic traits and homicidal behavior among incarcerated male youth offenders

Background: The purpose of the current study was to examine the differences in primary and secondary psychopathy scores, criminal social identity dimensions (cognitive centrality, in-group affect, and in-group ties), and criminal network between four groups of juvenile offenders: murderers, attempted murderers, recidivistic nonhomicidal offenders, and firsttime nonhomicidal offenders. Participants and procedure: Self-reported data were collected among 725 male youth offenders (Mage = 16.47 years) incarcerated in four prisons in Pakistan. Results: The results revealed no significant differences in scores between the four groups of youth offenders on any of the measured variables. Conclusions: It appears that psychosocial selfreported measures may not be effective in discriminating among youth prison populations.

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Moral cognition, emotion, and behavior in male youth with varying levels of psychopathic traits

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.ijlp.2017.06.011 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 155-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maaike Cima ◽

Andries Korebrits ◽

Geert Jan Stams ◽

Peter Bleumer

Keyword(s):

Psychopathic Traits ◽

Moral Cognition ◽

Male Youth ◽

And Behavior

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Hearing, Auditory Processing, and Language Skills of Male Youth Offenders and Remandees in Youth Justice Residences in New Zealand

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2016_jslhr-l-15-0131 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 121-135 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sarah A. Lount ◽

Suzanne C. Purdy ◽

Linda Hand

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Auditory Processing ◽

Language Skills ◽

Group Versus ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Auditory Processing Disorder ◽

Control Group ◽

Youth Offenders ◽

Youth Justice ◽

Male Youth

Purpose International evidence suggests youth offenders have greater difficulties with oral language than their nonoffending peers. This study examined the hearing, auditory processing, and language skills of male youth offenders and remandees (YORs) in New Zealand. Method Thirty-three male YORs, aged 14–17 years, were recruited from 2 youth justice residences, plus 39 similarly aged male students from local schools for comparison. Testing comprised tympanometry, self-reported hearing, pure-tone audiometry, 4 auditory processing tests, 2 standardized language tests, and a nonverbal intelligence test. Results Twenty-one (64%) of the YORs were identified as language impaired (LI), compared with 4 (10%) of the controls. Performance on all language measures was significantly worse in the YOR group, as were their hearing thresholds. Nine (27%) of the YOR group versus 7 (18%) of the control group fulfilled criteria for auditory processing disorder. Only 1 YOR versus 5 controls had an auditory processing disorder without LI. Conclusions Language was an area of significant difficulty for YORs. Difficulties with auditory processing were more likely to be accompanied by LI in this group, compared with the controls. Provision of speech-language therapy services and awareness of auditory and language difficulties should be addressed in youth justice systems.

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An Evolutionary Model to Conceptualize Psychopathic Traits Across Community and Forensic Male Youth

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology ◽

10.1177/0306624x18823624 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 574-596 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Diana Ribeiro da Silva ◽

Paula Vagos ◽

Daniel Rijo

Keyword(s):

Coping Strategies ◽

Empirical Research ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Evolutionary Model ◽

Adaptive Strategy ◽

Psychopathic Traits ◽

Self Report ◽

Male Youth ◽

External Shame ◽

The Impact

Psychopathy has been historically associated with a lack of emotion. However, some authors argue that psychopathy may represent a tendency to externalize the experience of unpleasant emotions, including shame, what could be seen as an adaptive strategy within an evolutionary framework. Nevertheless, empirical research investigating this hypothesis is scarce. Using community ( n = 295) and forensic ( n = 300) male youth samples and a set of self-report measures, this study tested an evolutionary model involving pathways linking the impact of harsh rearing experiences (traumatic shameful experiences and warmth and safeness experiences) to psychopathic traits, as well as the indirect effects of external shame and shame coping strategies in that association. In addition, this study tested the invariance of this model across samples. Results indicated that the impact of harsh rearing experiences was directly and indirectly (through external shame and shame coping strategies) linked with psychopathic traits. The model explained psychopathic traits in forensic and community samples, though differences in some of the pathways were found across groups. Findings offer support for conceptualizing psychopathic traits as an adaptive strategy to cope with the impact of harsh rearing experiences, opening new pathways to prevention and intervention efforts.

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