Psychopathy and gender differences in childhood psychosocial characteristics in homicide offenders – a nationwide register-based study

Abstract

Research on childhood psychosocial characteristics with regard to psychopathy in homicide offenders is lacking. The current study focused on gender differences in the association of childhood victimisation, adverse family factors and parental characteristics, and psychopathy. Forensic psychiatric examination reports of all female offenders (n = 102), subjected to forensic examination and convicted of homicide in 1993–2005 and corresponding male offenders (n = 463) in 1995–2004 were retrospectively analysed and assessed for childhood psychosocial characteristics and psychopathy using The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). The findings indicated that adverse childhood psychosocial characteristics increase the risk of psychopathy in both female and male homicide offenders. Although significant gender differences in relation to the total PCL-R scores were found only in childhood sexual abuse, differences emerged in the four factors. In conclusion, traumatic experiences are related to psychopathy in both female and male offenders and the association may, contrary to prior research, be even stronger in female than in male homicide offenders.