Intersection between Justice-Involved Youth Personality Profiles and Criminal Risk-Need Patterns

Abstract

To purpose of the current study was to inform system level decision-making about the value of integrating clinically relevant personality information with criminogenic need risk appraisal in justice-involved youth. Using a Canadian sample of youth referred for court-ordered psychological assessments (N = 201, M_age=15.62 years; 70% male), we examined the patterns of association and differentiation between youths’ Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) criminogenic need/risk profiles with personality profiles derived from the personality scales of the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI, Millon, Millon adolescent clinical inventory. National Computer Systems, 1993). Specifically, latent profile analysis identified four MACI based personality profiles: externalizing, internalizing, dependent/followers, and complex dysregulated personality profiles. These groups varied significantly on YLS/CMI risk-need profiles. Although both externalizing and complex dysregulated sub-types represented higher criminal risk, their intervention needs diverged meaningfully. These results provide insight into the heterogeneity of justice-involved youth and point to the need for system resources that allow for appropriate intervention matching to maximize the goal of recidivism risk reduction in youth.

Keywords:

• Justice-involved youth
• risk assessment
• YLS/CMI
• MACI
• personality
• latent profile analysis
• criminal behavior
• mental health

Correction Statement

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Notes

1 The LPAs were also repeated with males only, and a similar pattern of results was obtained. A four-profile model (n₁=31, 22%; n₂=49, 35%; n₃=40, 28%; n₄=21, 15%) was selected as the most appropriate to the data based on the lower AIC, BIC, and SABIC indices than those for a three-profile model, improved entropy, and conceptual interpretation of the profiles based on their unique patterns of peaks and troughs on personality traits (see next section).

2 The four-profile model derived in males only was comprised of similar profiles based on the peaks and troughs on personality traits: Profile 1, externalizing (n₁= 31, 22%); Profile 2, internalizing (n₂= 49, 35%); Profile 3, dependent/follower (n₃= 40, 28%); Profile 4, complex dysregulated (n₄= 21, 15%). The complex dysregulated profile was markedly smaller in males only (21 vs. 45 youths), given that it had an equal representation of males and females in the full sample. Multivariate and univariate analyses for males only produced a similar pattern of findings to those obtained in the full sample with the exception of two minor differences at the level of pairwise comparisons; the complex dysregulated profile was no longer significantly different from the internalizing and dependent/follower profiles on the introversive trait and from internalizing profile on the dramatizing trait. The rank order of the profiles with respect to their means on the personality traits remained the same.

3 Multivariate and univariate analyses were repeated in males only yielding a similar pattern of findings to those obtained in the full sample with the exception of minor differences at the level of pairwise comparisons. In males only, the differences between the externalizing and dependent/follower profiles were in the same direction but no longer significant for the family circumstances/parenting needs and substance use domains; the same applies to the difference between the internalizing and complex dysregulated profiles on the education/employment needs domain. The rank order of the profiles with respect to their means on the risk/need domains remained the same.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a Category B IWK Health Center Research Grant.