Citation

Willemsen J. Int. J. Forensic Psychother. 2022; 4(1): 37-51.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy, Publisher Phoenix Publishing House)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The literature on crime narratives has demonstrated the relevance of studying offenders' personal perspectives on crime as a means to gain insight in criminal behaviour. In this exploratory study, we examine the presence of defence mechanisms in crime narratives produced by violent
offenders with psychopathic traits. The Defence Mechanism Rating Scale (DMRS) is used to assess defence mechanisms in crime narratives produced by 36 male inmates. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is used to assess psychopathic traits. Statistical analyses demonstrate the increased
presence of obsessional defences (intellectualisation). The affective and lifestyle traits of psychopathy are positively associated with rationalisation. Our results indicate that psychopathic offenders tend to describe their violent crime in general and abstract terms and represent themselves
as rational actors whose behaviour is normal and well-founded given the abnormal or irrational environment. We conclude that the narrative strategies deployed by offenders with psychopathic traits are characterised by defence mechanisms to deal with threats to the self.

Language: en

Keywords

CRIME NARRATIVE; DEFENCE MECHANISM RATING SCALE; DEFENCE MECHANISMS; PSYCHOANALYSIS; PSYCHOPATHY