Criminal Lifestyle Among Women Who Committed Crimes: The Role of Psychopathy

ABSTRACT

Research on women who committed crimes has not followed the same developments of males who committed crimes. The study of psychopathy and criminal lifestyle in female populations is one of the main gaps. This study aimed to better understand the construct of psychopathy among women who committed crimes, analyzing its relationship with criminal lifestyle. Sixty-three incarcerated women convicted of different crimes participated in this study. Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form-Revised (LSCF-R) were filled in. Females showed low scores on the total psychopathy score. The interpersonal and lifestyle facets were the highest scored, while the antisocial was the lowest scored. Positive correlations between criminal lifestyle and total psychopathy and lifestyle and antisocial facets were found. After controlling for age and criminal variables, total psychopathy and the lifestyle facet emerge as variables associated with a criminal lifestyle. These results are particularly relevant for the design of prevention and intervention policies in female offenses and for risk assessments.

KEYWORDS:

• Criminal lifestyle
• psychopathy
• women who committed crimes
• prison

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, MP, upon reasonable request

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marina Pinheiro

Marina Pinheiro coordinates a social project for the integration of people in situations of social vulnerability at the “la Caixa” Foundation. Currently a doctoral student and researcher at the Center for Research in Psychology, she develops research to understand emotional processing and psychopathy in female offenders, the processes of adaptation to prison, recidivism and adverse childhood experiences in this population.

Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves

Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves (Ph.D.), is an associate professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Minho, Portugal, and a researcher at the Center for Research in Psychology (CIPsi). He devotes much of his research to the study of offenders and the justice system.

Sónia Caridade

Sónia Caridade, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Minho, Portugal, and a researcher at the Center for Research in Psychology (CIPsi). She has a lot of experience in problem behavior and involvement with the justice system.

Olga Cunha

Olga Cunha, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology, Education, and Sports, Lusófona University of Porto, Portugal, and a researcher at the HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Lab. She develops research on violence in intimate relationships and offenders.