The Role of Arrest Risk Perception Formation in the Association Between Psychopathy and Aggressive Offending

Sultan Altikriti, Joseph L. Nedelec, Ian Silver

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Research on the role of risk perception as a mechanism linking personality traits and behavioral outcomes is limited. The current study assessed a developmental model of the influence of psychopathic traits (PPTs) on the between- and within-individual variation in perceptions of risk and aggressive offending. Multivariate latent growth curve models were used to estimate the role of risk perceptions in the association between PPTs and aggressive offending in a sample of 1,354 adjudicated youths. The results indicated that PPTs influenced between-individual differences in perceptions of risk (β = −.312) and aggressive offending (β =.256), although the effects on within-individual differences suggested some attenuation over time. Additionally, higher PPT scores exhibited an indirect influence on increased aggressive offending through reduced perceptions of risk (β =.049). Implications from this line of research support calls for a developmentally informed juvenile justice system that considers latent personality traits and their long-term effects. Broader implications support individualized rehabilitative programming and tailored responses to offending over the blanket deterrence approach that dominates the current landscape of the American criminal justice system.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)402-422
Number of pages21
JournalYouth Violence and Juvenile Justice
Volume19
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Health(social science)
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Law

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