Psychopathy and Criminal Recidivism in Female Offenders A 10-Year Follow-up of a Nationwide Sample...

Psychopathy and Criminal Recidivism in Female Offenders

A 10-Year Follow-up of a Nationwide Sample

Weizmann-Henelius, GhittaGrönroos, MattiEronen, Markku

Gammelgård, MonicaPutkonen, Hanna

9th Nordic Symposium of Forensic Psychiatry 2011


Background

Psychopathy has been identified as a robust predictor of both future violence and general criminal recidivismHemphill, Hare, & Wong, 1998; Leistico, Salekin, DeCoster, & Rogers, 2008:

Salekin, Rogers, & Sewell, 1996

The PCL-R is the most frequently used operational definition of psychopathy and part of most violence risk assessment tools Quinsey, Harris, Rice, & Cormier, 1998; Webster, Douglas, Eaves, & Hart, 1997

Research has been conducted in male populations and the applicability of the construct to females raises concerns

Forouzan & Cooke, 2005; Kreis, 2009; Nicholls & Petrila, 2005;

Logan & Blackburn, 2009


Background

Women have Lower total and factor scores Lower base rates of psychopathy Salekin, Rogers, Ustad & Sewell. 1998; Vitale Smith, Brinkley &

Newman, 2002; Weizmann-Henelius, Viemero, & Eronen, 2004

The Three-factor model is a better fit for female data than the traditional two-factor modelJackson, Rogers, Neumann, & Lambert. 2002; Warren et al., 2003; Weizmann- Henelius, Putkonen, Grönroos, Lindberg, Eronen, & Häkkänen, 2010

Gender differences in item factor loadings, comorbidity and manifestation of psychopathy

Cale & Lilienfeld, 2002; Forouzan & Cooke, 2005; Kreis, 2009; Salekin, Rogers, & Sewell, 1997; Schrum & Salekin,

2006

cont’d…


Background

Studies on predictive validity of the PCL-R in females have been conflicting Verona & Vitale, 2007

Some studies report PCL-R to be a valid predictor for both general and violent recidivism in females

Nicholls, Ogloff, & Douglas, 2004; Loucks & Zamble, 2000; Richards, Casey, & Lucente, 2003

The Affective and Interpersonal factor 1 has been a moderate predictor

The Behavioral and Lifestyle factor 2 has not been an accurate predictor Richards, Casey, & Lucente, 2003; Salekin, Rogers, Ustad, &

Sewell, 1998

Other studies report that PCL-R has not predicted violent recidivism de Vogel & de Ruiter, 2005; Warren et al., 2005

cont’d…


Aim of the Study

The aim of the study was to examine the

predictive validity of psychopathy for violent and

non-violent criminal recidivism among female

offenders during a 10-year follow-up.


Methods – the sample

A nationwide sample of violent female offenders

• 61 (56%) female offenders of a total of 109

• Incarcerated in 1999 – 2000

• The average follow period was 8.1 years

(SD 2.5; range 0.5-10.7) and median 9.2 years

• 50 (82 %) offenders had been released

• 48 offenders had been assessed for psychopathy


Background

•Mean age 45.1 (SD 10.7, range 28-70)

•18 (38%) married or in a common-law relationship

•34 (71%) children

•8 (17%) cared for their children

•26 (54%) vocational examination

•9 (19%) working at the time of data collection

Methods – the samplecont’d…


Psychiatric history

•39 (81%) diagnose of personality dirsorder

•27 (56%) antisocial Pd

•19 (40%) borderline Pd

•14 (29%) been in inpatient care

• 4 (8%) diagnose of psychosis

•36 (75%) substance abuse or dependency

Methods – the samplecont’d…


Methods – the sample

Criminal history

•29 (60%) homicide conviction

•19 (40%) conviction of other violent offences

•33 (69%) prior non-violent offences

•30 (63%) at least two convictions of violent crimes

•19 (40%) victim emotionally close to the offender

cont’d…


Methods – data collection

Initial data collected in 1999-2000

•Official records

•A structured interview

•The PCL-R

Data on recidivism collected in July 2010

•from the National Crime Register

•Recidivism defined as reconviction of a violent or a non-violent offence during the follow-up period.


Methods – data analyses

Predictive validity of the PCL-R was evaluated using ROC analyses and Pearson point-biserial correlation.

Binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between violent recidivism and dichotomous scores of the PCL-R items rated as present or absent.


Results – recidivism

Of the 48 offenders

16 (33.3%) were reconvicted of a violent crime 2 of homicide 1 of attempted homicide 13 of assault

11 (22.9%) were reconvicted of a non-violent crime

21 (43.8%) of either a violent or non-violent crime

None of the forensic psychiatric patients had reoffended


Results

Prevalence of psychopathy

10 (20.8%) cut-off ≤ 25 6 (12.5%) cut-off ≤ 30

cont’d…


Results

a Mann-Whitney U-test

PCL-R Violent recidivists n = 16

Non-violent recidivists n = 32

pa

Mean SD

Mean SD

Factor 1 2.1 1.8

1.9 1.8

.585

Factor 2 4.8 2.3

4.2 2.3

.372

Factor 3 6.4 1.8

4.4 3.2

.041

Factor 4 5.0 1.9

3.1 2.7

.018

Total score 20.3 6.7

15.3 9.4

.032

Three-factor

13.3 5.1

10.3 6.4

.072

cont’d…

PCL-R: difference between violent and non-violent recidivsts


Results

ROC analysis: Violent Recidivism

a Standard error* p < .05

PCL-R AUC SEa 95%CIb rPB

Factor 1 .548 .086 [.378-.717] .067

Factor 2 .579 .088 [.407-.751] .136

Factor 3 .682* .076 [.533-.830] .322*

Factor 4 .710* .074 [.566-.854] .350*

Total score .691* .076 [.542-.841] .272

Three-factor

.660 .079 [.505-.816] .235

cont’d…


Results

ROC analysis: Non-Violent Recidivism

a Standard error* p < .05

PCL-R AUC SEa 95%CIb rPB

Factor 1 .671 .077 [.521-.822]

.098

Factor 2 .623 .088 [.450-.796]

.216

Factor 3 658 .077 [.502-.804]

.212

Factor 4 .633 .083 [.470-797]

.119

Total score .689* .077 [.539-.839]

.201

Three-factor

.709* .076 [.561-.857]

.220

cont’d…


Results

Adjusted ORs with 95% CI of significant PCL-R items

a Adjusted for time of release from incarceration

PCL-R Item Adjusteda

Impulsivity 8.8 (1.0–75.6)

Revocation of Conditional Release

7.7 (1.5-40.0)

Criminal Versatility 16.2 (1.9-139.6)

cont’d…


Conclusions

The predictive validity of the PCL-R in the

female sample was not found to be good

neither for violent recidivism

nor for non-violent recidivism

Impulsivity, which is an important characteristic

of psychopathy, borderline and antisocial

personality disorders, is crucial in female violent

and non-violent recidivism


Conclusions

Gender differences in predictive accuracy of

psychopathy may be related to

the kind of offences conducted by males and females

Psychopathy manifests differently in women

Inability of the PCL-R to capture the symptoms in women

the PCL-R may not assess psychopathy accurately in

women

The PCL-R should be modified for women

a new instrument should be developed

cont’d…


Thank you for your attention!

Ghitta Weizmann-Henelius

Vanha Vaasa Hospital

Finland

ghitta.weizmann-henelius @ vvs.fi

Psychopathy and Criminal Recidivism in Female Offenders A 10-Year Follow-up of a Nationwide Sample...

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