Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version Research Articles

Personality traits and male vulnerability to commercial sexual exploitation victimisation.

There has been little research into whether personality traits increase vulnerability to serious forms of recurring victimisation, such as commercial sexual exploitation of young people. To investigate whether impulsivity, emotional dysregulation or high psychopathy scale scores indicative of personality traits increase vulnerability to commercial sexual exploitation. Data were used from the longitudinal Pathways to Desistance Study 1170 justice-involved men who were aged 14-19 at baseline data collection. Ninety-eight (8%) reported having been commercially sexually exploited during adolescence or young adulthood. We investigated whether personality traits measured at baseline were related to such victimisation. Results of binomial logistic regression among the young men in this sample indicated that Factor 1 scores on the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV), reflecting affective and interpersonal features, are associated with having been commercially sexually exploited, while impulsivity, emotional dysregulation and Factor 2 PCL-YV, reflecting antisocial activities, were not. Having been a victim of other violence and being a member of a cultural or ethnic minority group were also independently related to being exploited. Our findings show that individual differences in personality, such as fearless temperament and boredom susceptibility, could differentially disadvantage young people, and put them at greater risk of commercial sexual exploitation. This knowledge could be beneficial to prevention efforts supporting male adolescents at risk for victimisation by commercial sexual exploitation, and to shed new light on the theoretical understanding of vulnerability to it.

Reconsidering the role of sex hormones in psychopathy development: Estrogen and psychopathy among male justice‐involved youth

Prominent theory suggests that factor one psychopathic traits may develop from increased input from hormones in the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis (HPG; i.e., testosterone) and decreased input from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA; i.e., cortisol). Although there are extensive findings connecting low cortisol to psychopathy, less support has emerged for high levels of testosterone. This study examined whether incorporating the HPG hormone, estradiol, into this model would reveal relationships in line with theory: high levels of estradiol and testosterone in combination with low levels of cortisol would inform psychopathic traits. Baseline and reactive hormone levels were measured and compared to Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV) interviews among 66 male justice-involved youth (M age=15.73) in a Southeastern juvenile detention center. The primary findings of this study were relationships between interacting HPA and HPG axis hormones with facet one and facet two psychopathic traits. Specifically, psychopathy total scores, interpersonal traits, and affective traits related to estradiol and testosterone reactivity, in that psychopathy scores were more likely with decreases in hormone reactivity (i.e., change in hormone level) following a stressor. Moreover, affective traits related to reactivity in all three hormones. These findings support inclusion of estradiol in neurobiological models of psychopathy and consideration of the individual components of psychopathy. This study adds to the growing body of research supporting interactions between variations in functioning of the HPA and HPG axes in relation to psychopathy.

A Longitudinal Test of the Mediational Role of Delinquent Peer Association on the Link Between Psychopathy and Offending.

Although prior research has found that psychopathy and delinquent peer association are predictors of delinquency, less research has assessed the dynamic role of peers in the relationship between psychopathic traits and offending. Using 10 waves of data from the Pathways to Desistance longitudinal study (n = 1,354), the current exploratory study investigates the impact of changes in delinquent peer association on the relationship between psychopathy and self-reported offending. Although the effects are small, results indicate that youth with higher Psychopathy Checklist Youth Version (PCL:YV; Forth etal.) scores report higher initial levels of delinquent peer association, which results in increases in offending over the study period. Initial levels (intercept) and change (slope) in delinquent peer association are positively associated with offending. Findings also demonstrate that initial levels and changes in delinquent peer association mediate the relationship between psychopathy and changes in offending. The findings have implications for delinquency prevention and intervention efforts for all adolescents and particularly serious offenders.

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Hare psychopathy checklist-youth version (PCL:YV) in a sample of adolescents with criminal convictions

This study aimed to confirm the factor structure of the Italian version of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) in a sample of adolescents with criminal convictions. The sample was comprised of 116 adolescent boys aged 12–18 years. In addition to PCL:YV, the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) and the MMPI-A were used. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were performed; the final solution was a four-factors model with correlated latent factors. The internal consistency of each factor was acceptably high. Moreover, as expected, positive and high correlations with SAVRY scores, and a negative association with the SAVRY protective indicator, were found. The factor structure of the Italian PCL:YV specifically tested in this study with adolescents with criminal convictions, has confirmed that the Italian PCL:YV can be a suitable tool for the assessment of psychopathy dimensions among adolescents with criminal convictions in Italy.

Psychosocial Factors and Juvenile Homicide in Argentina.

Although knowledge on and prevention of juvenile homicide are crucial for social welfare and have been approached through different methodological instruments, this behavior is still quite difficult to be addressed. In this study, we have analyzed several psychological and social factors that could be theoretically related to juvenile homicidal behavior. Our case-control study included young (M = 16.8 years) males institutionalized in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, under judicial order for crime. Out of 195 cases, 130 had committed homicide, 15 had repeated homicide, and 50 had attempted homicide. The control group comprised 305 young males who had committed other types of crimes. Self-reported and informant-reported instruments and professional assessment were used: Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) Scale, Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI), Resistance to Peer Influence (RPI), Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV), and Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU). Differences between indicators of the psychological and social dimensions were not statistically significant. Only Factor 4 of the PCL-YV showed statistically significant difference. However, the relevance of this result is under discussion.

Adolescent psychopathy, heart rate, and skin conductance

Researchers have advocated for a greater focus on measuring neurobiological underpinnings of serious psychological conditions such as psychopathy. This has become particularly important to investigate early in the life span, when intervention efforts for psychopathy-related behavior like conduct disorder (CD) are more successful. Given that psychopathy is a complex syndrome, it is also important to investigate physiological processes at a dimensional level. Using a sample of 56 adolescent male offenders (Mage = 15.92; SD = 1.31), this study explored the relationship between the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (Forth, Kosson, & Hare, 2003), heart rate (HR), and skin conductance (SC). A white noise countdown task was used to measure autonomic activity across a baseline, anticipatory (prenoise), and reactivity (postnoise) period. Findings revealed no significant associations between psychopathy and HR activity across the time intervals. However, results revealed a positive association between grandiose-manipulative traits and SC activity and a negative association between callous-unemotional traits and SC activity. The results indicate that autonomic processes may contribute to distinct psychopathic traits in different ways, implicating slightly differential brain functioning. The findings suggest that, in order to better understand and treat youth with CD, future research should continue to examine the biological correlates of psychopathy at the broader construct level but perhaps especially at the component level.

Functional connectivity in incarcerated male adolescents with psychopathic traits

The present study examined the association between psychopathic traits and functional connectivity in 177 incarcerated male adolescents. We hypothesized that psychopathic symptoms would be associated with functional connectivity within networks encompassing limbic and paralimbic regions, such as the default mode (DMN), salience networks (SN), and executive control network (ECN). The present sample was drawn from the Southwest Advanced Neuroimaging Cohort, Youth sample, and from research at a youth detention facility in Wisconsin. All participants were scanned at maximum-security facilities. Psychopathic traits were assessed using Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version. Resting-state networks were computed using group Independent Component Analysis. Associations between psychopathic traits and resting-state connectivity were assessed using Mancova analyses. PCL-YV Total score and Factor 1 score (interpersonal and affective traits) were associated with the power spectra of the DMN. Factor 1 score was associated with SN and ECN spatial maps. Factor 2 score (lifestyle and antisocial traits) was associated with spatial map of the ECN. Only the Factor 1 association with DMN power spectrum survived correction for multiple testing. Comparable to adult psychopathy, adolescent psychopathic traits were associated with networks implicated in self-referential thought, moral behavior, cognition, and saliency detection: functions previously reported to be disrupted in adult psychopaths.

The Neuropsychology of Adolescent Sexual Offending

Although executive dysfunctions are commonly hypothesized to contribute to sexual deviance or aggression, evidence of this relationship is scarce and its specificity is unproven, especially among adolescents. The objective of this study was to compare the executive functioning (EF) of adolescents with sexual offense convictions (ASOC) to that of non-sex-delinquents (NSD). A secondary goal was to assess the relationship among specific sexual offense characteristics (i.e., victim age), history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and EF. It was hypothesized that as a group, ASOC would present similar EF profiles as NSD. It was further hypothesized that ASOC with child victims would present significantly higher rates of CSA and more severe impairment of EF than ASOC with peer-aged or older victims and NSD. A total of 183 male adolescents (127 ASOC and 56 NSD) were interviewed to collect demographic information, sexual development history, history of CSA, an assessment of living conditions, and history of delinquency and sexual offending. Participants were administered the Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System and the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version. In accord with the first hypothesis, ASOC and NSD presented similar EF scores, well below normative values. Thus, EF deficits may not characterize the profiles of adolescents with sexual behavior problems. Contrarily to our second hypothesis, however, offending against children and or experiencing CSA were not associated with poorer EF performance. On the contrary, ASOC with child victims obtained significantly higher scores on measures of higher order EF than both ASOC with peer-aged or older victims and NSD. Implications of these results and future directions are discussed.

The Longitudinal Relationship Between African American Status, Psychopathic Traits, and Violent Recidivism in Juvenile Offenders

This project assessed the relationship between psychopathic traits, racial identity, and violent behavior in 257 delinquent boys. The Psychopathy Checklist–Youth Version (PCL:YV) was administered to youth across a 7-year window. The group was then followed for a mean of 14.7 years (range = 9.3 to 18.5 years), to determine if the presence of psychopathic features in adolescence predicted violent recidivism in adulthood. After controlling for race, Facet 3 was predictive of violent recidivism, whereas PCL:YV total score and all other Facets were not. Overall, African American youth obtained significantly higher PCL:YV scores and had higher rates of violent recidivism than did Caucasian youth, even when controlling for urban status. Implications for the use of the PCL:YV in clinical and legal settings will be discussed in light of the need for further research to be conducted on psychopathic traits in minority adolescents.

Emotional Intelligence and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Incarcerated Adolescents.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to perceive, manage, and reason about emotions and to use this information to guide thinking and behavior adaptively. Youth with callous-unemotional (CU) traits demonstrate a variety of affective deficits, including impairment in recognition of emotion and reduced emotional responsiveness to distress or pain in others. We examined the association between ability EI and CU traits in a sample of incarcerated adolescents (n=141) using an expert-rater device (Psychopathy Checklist Youth Version (PCL-YV; Manual for the Hare psychopathy checklist: Youth version. Multi-Health Systems, Toronto, 2003) and self-report assessments of CU traits. EI was assessed using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test-Youth Version, Research Version (MSCEIT-YV-R; MSCEIT YV: Mayer-Salovey-Caruso emotional intelligence test: Youth version, research version 1.0. Multi-Health Systems, Toronto, Ontario, 2005). Similar to findings in adult forensic populations, high levels of CU traits in incarcerated adolescents were associated with lower EI, particularly higher order EI skills. Identifying impairment on EI abilities may have important implications for emerging treatment and intervention developments for youth with high levels of CU traits.

The association between affective psychopathic traits, time incarcerated, and cortisol response to psychosocial stress

Previous research has demonstrated that psychopathic personality traits are significantly predictive of blunted cortisol reactivity to a performance-based stressor task (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST) in college students. However, the relationship between cortisol reactivity and psychopathy has not been explored in high risk samples such as incarcerated populations. Further, the role of imprisonment in relation to cortisol stress reactivity has not been previously explored, but could have practical and conceptual consequences in regard to rehabilitation and biological sensitivity to context, respectively. The current study tested the hypotheses that both psychopathic personality traits and amount of time incarcerated are related to cortisol blunting in response to stress among incarcerated young adults. A sample of 49 young adult male offenders was recruited to complete the TSST. Salivary hormone samples were taken just prior to and 20min post-stressor, and participants were interviewed with the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version. Variables quantifying the amount of time at the present facility prior to the date of testing and number of commitments in juvenile facilities were also collected. Correlational analyses indicated that only number of incarcerations was related to blunted cortisol. Hierarchical Linear Modeling revealed that time incarcerated and number of commitments were related to a blunted cortisol response among responders and declining cortisol reactivity among nonresponders, respectively. Controlling for time incarcerated, psychopathic traits were significantly related to cortisol decline in response to the stressor among nonresponders, but were not related to blunted cortisol among responders. Results of this project highlight the potential biological effects of prolonged and repeated incarcerations, and extend our understanding about the relationship between psychopathic traits and cortisol reactivity in an incarcerated sample.

Assessing psychopathy among justice involved adolescents with the PCL:YV: an item response theory examination across gender.

This study used an item response theory (IRT) model and a large adolescent sample of justice involved youth (N = 1,007, 38% female) to examine the item functioning of the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL: YV). Items that were most discriminating (or most sensitive to changes) of the latent trait (thought to be psychopathy) among adolescents included "glibness/superficial charm," "lack of remorse," and "need for stimulation," whereas items that were least discriminating included "pathological lying," "failure to accept responsibility," and "lacks goals." The items "impulsivity" and "irresponsibility" were the most likely to be rated high among adolescents, whereas "parasitic lifestyle," and "glibness/superficial charm" were the most likely to be rated low. Evidence of differential item functioning (DIF) on 4 of the 13 items was found between boys and girls. "Failure to accept responsibility" and "impulsivity" were endorsed more frequently to describe adolescent girls than boys at similar levels of the latent trait, and vice versa for "grandiose sense of self-worth" and "lacks goals." The DIF findings suggest that 4 PCL: YV items function differently between boys and girls.

Neural processing of moral violations among incarcerated adolescents with psychopathic traits

Neuroimaging studies have found that adult male psychopaths show reduced engagement of limbic and paralimbic circuitry while making moral judgments. The goal of this study was to investigate whether these findings extend to adolescent males with psychopathic traits. Functional MRI was used to record hemodynamic activity in 111 incarcerated male adolescents while they viewed unpleasant pictures that did or did not depict moral transgressions and rated each on “moral violation severity”. Adolescents were assessed for psychopathic traits using the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV), Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (KSADS-PL) Conduct Disorder supplement, and Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits-Youth Version (ICU-Y). While viewing pictures depicting moral transgressions, CD scores were negatively correlated with hemodynamic responses in the anterior temporal cortex. Adolescents scoring low on the ICU-Y showed a positive correlation between right amygdala responses and severity of violation ratings; those with high ICU-Y scores showed a negative correlation. While viewing unpleasant pictures with and without moral transgressions, PCL-YV scores were negatively correlated with hemodynamic responses in the left amygdala. Overall, the results are consistent with those previously found in adult male psychopaths, but vary depending on the type of psychopathy assessment.

Does diagnosis affect the predictive accuracy of risk assessment tools for juvenile offenders: Conduct Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Studies have suggested an increased risk of criminality in juveniles if they suffer from co-morbid Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) along with Conduct Disorder. The Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), the Psychopathy Checklist Youth Version (PCL:YV), and Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) have been shown to be good predictors of violent and non-violent re-offending. The aim was to compare the accuracy of these tools to predict violent and non-violent re-offending in young people with co-morbid ADHD and Conduct Disorder and Conduct Disorder only. The sample included 109 White-British adolescent males in secure settings. Results revealed no significant differences between the groups for re-offending. SAVRY factors had better predictive values than PCL:YV or YLS/CMI. Tools generally had better predictive values for the Conduct Disorder only group than the co-morbid group. Possible reasons for these findings have been discussed along with limitations of the study.

Do Psychopathic Traits Assessed in Mid-Adolescence Predict Mental Health, Psychosocial, and Antisocial, Including Criminal Outcomes, over the Subsequent 5 Years?

To determine whether psychopathic traits assessed in mid-adolescence predicted mental health, psychosocial, and antisocial (including criminal) outcomes 5 years later and would thereby provide advantages over diagnosing conduct disorder (CD). Eighty-six women and 61 men were assessed in mid-adolescence when they first contacted a clinic for substance misuse and were reassessed 5 years later. Assessments in adolescence include the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV), and depending on their age, either the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children or the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID). Assessments in early adulthood included the SCID, self-reports of psychosocial functioning, aggressive behaviour, and criminality and official criminal records. The antisocial facet score positively predicted the number of anxiety symptoms and likelihood of receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). Lifestyle and antisocial facet scores negatively predicted Global Assessment of Functioning scores. By contrast, the interpersonal score and male sex independently and positively predicted the number of months worked or studied, as did the interaction of Lifestyle × Sex indicating that among men, but not women, an increase in lifestyle facet score was associated with less time worked or studied. Interpersonal and antisocial scores positively predicted school drop-out. Antisocial facet scores predicted the number of symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, alcohol and SUDs, and violent and nonviolent criminality but much more strongly among males than females. Predictions from numbers of CD symptoms were similar. Psychopathic traits among adolescents who misuse substances predict an array of outcomes over the subsequent 5 years. Information on the levels of these traits may be useful for planning treatment.

Paralimbic Gray Matter Reductions in Incarcerated Adolescent Females with Psychopathic Traits

Psychopathy-related paralimbic and limbic structural brain abnormalities have been implicated in incarcerated adult and adolescent male samples. However, there have been few neuroimaging studies of psychopathic traits in females in general and no studies from incarcerated female youth in particular. Here we present the first study to examine the relationship between brain gray matter volumes and psychopathic traits (assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version [PCL-YV]) in a sample of maximum-security incarcerated female adolescents (N = 39; mean age = 17.6years). Consistent with male samples, regional gray matter volumes were negatively related to psychopathic traits in female youth offenders in limbic and paralimbic areas, including orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal cortex, temporal poles, and left hippocampus. These results provide evidence that psychopathic traits manifest similar neural abnormalities across sex and age.

Psychopathy's influence on the coupling between hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal and ‐gonadal axes among incarcerated adolescents

Conduct disorder (CD) is a heterogeneous diagnosis, leading researchers to initiate studies focused on neurobiological mechanisms underlying this disorder. One specifier of CD currently considered for inclusion in the DSM-V is callous-unemotional (CU) traits, a key component of psychopathy. CU traits are thought to have neuroendocrine underpinnings, yet little is known about hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and -gonadal (HPG) hormones in the context of psychopathic traits. The current study sought to identify daily coupling patterns between HPA and HPG hormones in order to clarify distinct neurobiological underpinning associated with psychopathic/CU traits. Fifty incarcerated adolescent males who met criteria for CD were recruited and provided 10 saliva samples across 2 days. Participants completed the Psychopathy Checklist Youth Version (PCL:YV) and Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU) on a third day. Diurnal cortisol, testosterone, and DHEA functioning was modeled via hierarchical linear modeling. Psychopathy subscales from the measures administered were used as predictors of daily coupling patterns between these hormones. Results indicated all three hormones were tightly coupled. Further, higher PCL-YV interpersonal scores related to greater coupling between all three hormones, whereas higher ICU callousness scores related to greater uncoupling of testosterone with cortisol and DHEA. The current study is novel in its emphasis on testing the coupling of HPA and HPG hormones among incarcerated adolescent males. Results suggest that affective and interpersonal psychopathic traits are marked by unique HPA- and HPG coupling.

Psychopathy and depression as predictors of psychosocial difficulties in a sample of court evaluated adolescents.

Psychopathy and depression have rarely been studied together despite relatively high rates of both in court-referred adolescent samples. To determine if youth high in psychopathy and depression experience more psychosocial difficulties, the current study examined psychopathy and depression in 103 adolescent offenders using two well-validated assessments: The Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV; Forth, Kosson, & Hare, 1996/2003) and the depression scale of the Adolescent Psychopathology Scale (APS; Reynolds, 1998). Findings showed that psychopathy and depression interact to statistically predict much higher levels of anger, aggression, interpersonal problems, and substance use. Implications for these findings include that youth who are high in psychopathy and come in contact with the law are also at high risk for numerous problems. Clinical implications driven from the current findings are that assessment and treatment programs in juvenile justice settings should be tailored and systematized to address externalizing and internalizing symptoms in youth and also to consider the co-occurrence of the two. Juvenile justice systems might also benefit from developing clinical practices that require assessment and treatment units to undergo program training to ensure that they (a) account for possible co-occurring effects of commonly assessed disorders and (b) adequately treat complex youth mental health problems with customized treatment programs. Such training would allow for more effective treatment affording youth greater opportunities to succeed in society.

Aberrant Paralimbic Gray Matter in Incarcerated Male Adolescents With Psychopathic Traits

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between brain structure and psychopathic traits in maximum-security incarcerated male adolescents, and to examine whether the associations between brain volumes in paralimbic and limbic regions and psychopathic traits observed in incarcerated adult men extend to an independent sample of incarcerated male adolescents. MethodA structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of regional gray matter volumes by using voxel-based morphometry in maximum-security incarcerated male adolescents (N = 218) assessed for psychopathic traits using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Youth Version (PCL-YV). All analyses controlled for effects of age, substance use, and brain size. ResultsConsistent with hypotheses and the adult literature, psychopathic traits were associated with decreased regional gray matter volumes in diffuse paralimbic regions, including orbitofrontal cortex, bilateral temporal poles, and posterior cingulate cortex. ConclusionsThese results strengthen the interpretation that paralimbic regions are central for understanding neural dysfunction associated with psychopathic traits and that psychopathy is best conceptualized as a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Comparing the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and the Psychopathy Checklist–Youth Version (PCL-YV) Among Offending Girls

Using a multimeasure longitudinal research design, we measured psychopathy with the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV) among 122 offending girls. We examined the psychometric properties of the YPI, investigated the association between the YPI and the PCL-YV, and assessed their concurrent and longitudinal association with externalizing problems on the Youth/Adult Self-Report and violent and delinquent behaviors on the Self-Report of Offending. Alphas for the YPI were adequate and there were small to moderate correlations between the YPI and PCL-YV, suggesting that each assesses distinctive personality features. The YPI and the PCL-YV were approximately equivalent in their association with concurrent and longitudinal outcomes with two exceptions, where the YPI demonstrated a stronger association with antisocial behavior. Concurrently, there was a divergent relationship between the psychopathy factor scores and antisocial outcomes. Within 2 years, the psychopathy affective factor, which constrained the YPI and PCL-YV to be equivalent, was associated with externalizing behaviors and the YPI affective factor was associated with violent offending. Approximately 4½ years later, neither measure was significantly related to antisocial behavior after accounting for past behavior. Reasons for continuity and discontinuity in risk identification are discussed.