Assessing psychopathy in young people: the validity of the Psychopathic Checklist: Youth Version for a sample of Spanish offenders

Abstract

In this study, we assessed the validity of the Psychopathic Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) in a Spanish sample of juvenile court-involved youths. Although recent Anglo-Saxon literature on the topic supports the usefulness of psychopathic traits in adolescent offenders for predicting recidivism and future violence, little is still known about their predictive ability for other cultures. The results of this study suggest that the PCL:YV possesses adequate concurrent criterion-related validity (by using self-reported version of Antisocial Process Screening Device) and retrospective validity (particularly as regards the antisocial, but also the affective–interpersonal domain). Specifically, retrospective validity was confirmed by positive correlations with history of truancy at school, poor parenting, parental delinquency, self-reported antisocial behaviour and illicit behaviour patterns including violent offences recorded in official files; however, careful analysis revealed that the Lifestyle and Antisocial factors are the main dimensions related to past offences, whether violent or otherwise. In conclusion, the PCL:YV is a convenient instrument for assessing psychopathy, and, hence, the risk of criminality, in youths.

Keywords:

• young offenders
• psychopathy
• criminality
• risk assessment
• antisocial personality traits

Funding

This work was funded by the Galician Council of Education [grant number PSI2011-29704-C03-01] and co-funded by EU FEDER.

Notes

1. This criticism can be extended to self-reported youth psychopathy assessment instruments in general.

2. In Galicia, this form of detention refers to the removal of adolescents from their homes for a given time to be supervised by correctors in a specific placement managed by Camiña Social Foundation (the organization responsible for enforcing the sentences of juvenile courts in the region). Adolescents are allowed to attend school or work but must return to their centres afterwards.

3. The purpose of the focus group was to ensure validity in the assessment process by discussing the pertinence of the principal raters' scores in the event of large disagreements. The arguments and data provided by the trained doctoral students and their expert supervisors were discussed by the group to ensure that any discrepancies in scores between raters were not the result of negligence or a deliberate bias.

4. A two-way random effect test was used to calculate single-rater [ICC_(2,1)] and average-rater [ICC_(2,2)] coefficients.

Additional information

Funding

Funding: This work was funded by the Galician Council of Education [grant number PSI2011-29704-C03-01] and co-funded by EU FEDER.