NCJ Number
234953
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 55 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 370-391
Date Published
May 2011
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study investigated whether psychopathic traits affected an individual's decision to engage in specific forms of white-collar crime.
Abstract
The extent and impact of white-collar offending has drawn the attention of many researchers. However, despite its association with both general and violent criminal behavior, the role that psychopathic traits plays in white-collar crime has been researched less. In an effort to better understand this relationship, psychopathic personality traits were assessed among a sample of 265 undergraduate students using the Psychopathic Personality InventoryRevised, along with attitudes supportive of environmental offending and intentions to engage in a specific form of environmental offending (toxic dumping). The current study assessed if psychopathic traits were associated with intentions to engage in toxic dumping, as well as the extent to which attitudes supportive of environmental offending would mediate this relationship. Results suggest that both attitudes and certain traits associated with psychopathy uniquely explain intention to engage in toxic dumping. However, a mediating effect was not found. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. (Published Abstract)