PSYCHOPATHY AND CRIME (FROM COLLOQUIUM ON THE CORRELATES OF CRIME AND THE DETERMINANTS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, 1978, BY LAURA OTTEN - SEE NCJ-53455)

• NCJ Number: 53459
• Author(s): R D HARE
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 38 pages
• Corporate Author: Mitre Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

THE INCIDENCE OF PSYCHOPATHY IN CRIMINAL AND PRISON POPULATIONS IS EXAMINED IN THIS OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOPATHIC MALADJUSTMENTS AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.

Abstract

THE FIRST PART OF THIS PAPER CONTAINS A BRIEF OUTLINE OF A CONCEPT OF PSYCHOPATHY THAT IS WIDELY USED BY CLINICIANS AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS IN NORTH AMERICA AND SOME PARTS OF EUROPE, ESPECIALLY SCANDINAVIA. THE PSYCHOPATH IS DESCRIBED AS AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR APPEARS TO BE INADEQUATELY MOTIVATED AND NOT SIMPLY THE RESULT OF PSYCHOSIS, NEUROSIS, OR MENTAL DEFICIENCY. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIAGNOSIS OF PSYCHOPATHY (OR SOCIOPATHY) AND IN THE SELECTION OF SUBJECTS FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES. DATA ARE PRESENTED TO ILLUSTRATE THAT THE USE OF DIFFERENT DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES CAN LEAD TO GREATLY DIVERGENT ESTIMATES OF THE PROPORTION OF CRIMINALS CONSIDERED PSYCHOPATHIC, IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE OF THE TERM. COMPARISONS ARE MADE BETWEEN GLOBAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES AND THOSE WHICH MAKE USE OF THE SORTS OF DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA PROPOSED FOR THE NEW DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL (DSM-III) OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION. FINALLY, NEW DATA ON THE CRIMINAL HISTORY OF PSYCHOPATHS ARE PRESENTED, ALONG WITH AN OUTLINE OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH ON THE BIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF PSYCHOPATHY. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (KBL)