A dimensional approach to personality disorders in a sample of juvenile offenders

Abstract

In a sample of 60 male Italian subjects imprisoned at a juvenile detention institute (JDI), psychopathological aspects of the AXIS II were described and the validity of a psychopathological dimensional approach for describing criminological issues was examined. The data show that the sample has psychopathological characteristics which revolve around ego weakness and poor management of relations and aggression. Statistically these psychopathological characteristics explain 85% of criminal behavior. Key words: Personality disorders, juvenile offenders, dimensional approach, criminological issues 43Rev. Latinoam. Psicopat. Fund., São Paulo, v. 15, n. 1, p. 42-57, março 2012 IntroductionEpidemiological studies in western populations display a frequency of Personality Disorders (PDs) among adult offenders ranging between 40 per cent and 90 per cent (Casey, 2000; Hiscoke, Langstrom, Ottosson, & Grann, 2003). Although subject to varying interpretations, an undisputed link between crime and pathological personality traits emerges from these samples. However, these studies were based on adult populations and the data is not automatically applicable to juvenile offenders, due to the complexity of psychopathology in adolescence and the specific issues involved. The studies regarding pathologic personality traits among juvenile offenders confirmed the association between personality disorders and criminal behavior. Coles, Greene & Braithwaite (2002) found a high frequency of paranoid and psychopathic traits among juvenile offenders. Using similar samples, Connor, Carlson, Chang, Daniolos, Ferziger, Findling, Hutchinson, Malone, Halperin, Plattner, Post, Reynolds, Rogers, Saxena & Steiner (2006) described two correlation models: on the one hand, a link emerged between the pathological internalization of anger, "neuroticism" and impulsive violence; on the other hand, there was also a link between the pathological externalization of anger and the tendency to carry out more serious crimes. Given the current evidence, it is impossible to decide whether pathologic personality traits play a role in the development of criminal behavior or whether crime and the personality disorders are the outcome of common processes such as parental neglect, living in a criminal environment and genetic liability. (Krischer, Sevecke, Lehmkuhl & Pukrop, 2007). With regard to the studies of juvenile offenders, indices of aggression show a strong correlation with criminal behavior in adulthood and suggest the need to focus on the dimensional constructs of personality which may be predictive factors of the inclination to commit crime (Moffitt, Caspi, Harrington, & Milne, 2002; Dodge, 2003). In 2001, an expert committee of the American Psychiatric Association and the National Institute of Mental Health emphasized the importance of developing a dimensional model of personality disorders in order to obtain effective diagnostic measures L A T I N O A M E R I C A N A DE P S I C O P A T O L O G I A F U N D A M E N T A L 44Rev. Latinoam. Psicopat. Fu...

Revision on Psychometric Properties of the Temperament and Character Inventory in a Clinical Sample

“…From this point of view, character traits are on the same level as psychiatric disorders that can be interpreted as the product of the cyclic interaction between problematic temperamental dimensions and unfavorable environmental events ( Manna, 2012 ). In this sense, it is also probable that the personality dimensions show greater predictive validity for personality disorders ( Cantone et al, 2012 ; Sperandeo et al, 2016 ; Maldonato et al, 2017 ).…”

The psychometric properties of the Personality Assessment Inventory–Adolescent’s Borderline Features Scale across two high-risk samples.

“…Moreover, BPD features among adolescents undergoing psychiatric care, in particular, are associated with suicide (Venta, Ross, Schatte, & Sharp, 2012); comorbid psychopathologies (Chanen, Sharp, & Hoffman & the Global Alliance for Prevention and Early Intervention for Borderline Personality Disorder, 2017); and unique treatment needs (Biskin, 2013). Likewise, BPD is related to anger and impulsivity (Cantone, Sperandeo, & Maldonato, 2012) as well as suicide, psychopathology, and interpersonal difficulties (Taylor, James, Reeves, & Kistner, 2009) in justice-involved youth.…”