A Retrospective Study on How Psychopathic Traits Differentiate Recidivists From First-Time Female Youth Offenders in Juvenile Detention Centers

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relation between recidivism and self-reported psychopathic traits, more specifically the callous-unemotional, impulsivity, and narcissism dimensions of the psychopathy construct among female juvenile delinquents. The Antisocial Process Screening Device–Self-Report (APSD-SR) and other self-report psychometric instruments (i.e., Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits [ICU], Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, version 11 [BIS-11], Narcissistic Personality Inventory-13 [NPI-13]) independently measuring the different dimensions of psychopathy were completed by a sample of incarcerated female juvenile offenders (N = 81) that were retrospectively classified as first-time offenders versus recidivists. The only statistically significant relation between recidivism and psychopathic traits found was with narcissism, namely with the Grandiose/Exhibitionism and the Entitlement/Exploitativeness dimensions of the NPI-13. Our results argue for some utility of self-reported psychopathic traits in retrospectively predicting recidivism among female juvenile delinquents.

KEYWORDS:

• crime
• female
• juvenile delinquency
• psychopathic traits
• recidivism

Acknowledgment

We wish to thank the following Portuguese juvenile detention centers for their collaboration: Bela Vista, Navarro de Paiva, and Santa Clara.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; Grant SFRH/BPD/86666/2012), with cofinancing of the European Social Fund (POPH/FSE), the Portuguese Ministry of Science (MCTES), and the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (UID/PSI/01662/2013).