Criminogenic Risk/Need and Responsivity: The Psychopathic Offender

• NCJ Number: 200309
• Author(s): Susan Wojciechowski
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 10 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Case Study
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Paper presented at the Probation and Community Corrections: Making the Community Safer Conference convened by the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Probation and Community Corrections Officers' Association Inc., held in Perth, Australia, on September 23-24, 2002. Downloaded May 12, 2003.

Annotation

This paper examines the link between environmental criminogenic factors and the individual characteristic of psychopathy.

Abstract

Previous research has established the fact that psychopaths have greater criminogenic risks than the nonpsychopathic population. Many environmental factors and individual characteristics have been associated with an increased risk to commit crimes; some of these include age, sex, family background, history of abuse, and mental illness. The author examined 38 serious juvenile offenders in order to explore the relationship between age, environmental factors, individual characteristics, and antisocial behavior. Interview and file data were gathered to explore the environmental criminogenic risk factors of family circumstances/parenting, education and employment, peer associations, and substance abuse. Psychopathy was measured using the adolescent version of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) and the children’s version of the Psychopathy Checklist, referred to as the Psychopathic Screening Device. The author found no link between environmental criminogenic risk factors and antisocial behavior. The author next presents a case study of an 18-year old offender with psychopathic characteristics and a history of serious criminal behavior. This case study, coupled with the results of recent research, illustrates a relationship between psychopathy and LSI-R total scores. The author stresses the importance of timely identification of individuals with psychopathic characteristics in order to protect community safety.