Citation

Rose K, Woodworth M, Minton J. Psychiatry Psychol. Law. 2020; 27(1): 44-60.

Affiliation

Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13218719.2019.1687043

PMID

32284779

PMCID

PMC7144301

Abstract

Youth who engage in violent crime, including sexual offences, remain understudied. Research conducted on adults suggests that factors linked to antisocial and violent behaviour may enhance the current understanding of sexual offences. These factors include a consideration of how dark personality traits (such as psychopathy) and childhood maltreatment may inform the likelihood of sexual offending. Utilizing a sample of juvenile alleged violent offenders (n = 113), the present study examines the construct of adolescent psychopathy, with abuse as a potential moderator, in relation to offence perpetration. Contrary to some of the literature on adults, the findings indicate that neither psychopathy nor experience of abuse differentiates sexual from non-sexual violent offenders. They also suggest that scoring higher on psychopathy relates to violence more broadly. The importance of tailored programming for youth who may be at risk of offending or who require treatment in the justice system is explored.

© 2020 The Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law.

Language: en

Keywords

childhood maltreatment; individual differences; juvenile justice; psychopathy; sexual violence; violence; violence prevention