NCJ Number
209684
Journal
Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 27-43
Date Published
February 2005
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study explored the possibility of two subtypes of criminal offenders among male inmates.
Abstract
Previous research has identified the presence of psychopathy as a factor in the onset, frequency, and course of antisocial behavior in criminal offenders. The current study employed cluster analysis to examine whether two subtypes of criminal offenders exist in the male inmate population; these two criminal subtypes are based on two dimensions of psychopathy and several other measures proposed to differentiate meaningful subgroups of offenders: anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, and interpersonal behaviors emblematic of psychopathy. Participants were 200 male county jail inmates incarcerated for felonies who completed a variety of questionnaires assessing psychological components. Criminal behavior was assessed via institutional file review and interview form review. Results of cluster analysis using SPSS indicated the presence of four criminal subtypes; two resembled primary and secondary psychopaths referred to in the research literature while the third subtype presented antisocial and psychopathic indicators. The fourth subtype exhibited no psychopathic indicators. The findings have implications for the treatment of subtypes of offenders, specifically psychopathic offenders who have been notoriously difficult to treat. Future research should focus on validating the typology suggested by the current findings. Tables, references