Psychopathy-related personality traits in male juvenile delinquents : an application of a person-oriented approach

• Some personality characteristics, such as impulsiveness, thrill seeking, and the need for change, are clearly relevant when studying psychopathy. Psychopaths are certainly avid sensation seekers. The primary aim of the present study was to identify common patterns with respect to psychopathy-related personality traits in a sample of 56 juveniles from four Swedish national correctional institutions for juvenile delinquents. Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP), the Impulsiveness scale from the Impulsiveness–Venturesomeness–Empathy (IVE) inventory and the Total Sensation-Seeking scale from the SSS-V were used to determine personality traits. Cluster analysis was performed with SLEIPNER. Ward’s hierarchical minimum variance clustering method was used. We discovered seven clusters of participants. The mean T scores of the profiles of personality traits in the clusters (the cluster centroids) have been used to describe the clusters. Three multideviant clusters emerged, into which 31 (63%) of the classified participants could be placed. To describe the clusters, the prevalence of participants with a high degree of psychopathy (cutoff PCL-R score 27or above) was computed for each cluster and was complemented with data on previous treatment occasions and reoffending. The results indicated that psychopaths may develop different personality pattern; each cluster contained participants with high values of the PCL-R. Deviant personality is not currently considered when assessing and treating people in state administered observational and correctional institutions for juvenile delinquents in Sweden. The present results suggest that young people with psychopathy are not a homogenous group but may develop various personality traits. This should have implications for risk assessment and treatment.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

KSP

PCL-R

cluster analysis

juvenile delinquents

Psychology

Psykologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)