The PCL: YV and re-offending across ethnic groups
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-02-2016-0006 |
| Date | 03 May 2016 |
| Published date | 03 May 2016 |
| Pages | 51-62 |
| Author | Stephane M. Shepherd,Susanne Strand |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Criminal psychology |
The PCL: YV and re-offending across
ethnic groups
Stephane M. Shepherd and Susanne Strand
Stephane M. Shepherd based
at the Centre for Forensic
Behavioural Science,
Swinburne University of
Technology, Melbourne,
Australia.
Susanne Strand based at the
Centre for Forensic Behavioural
Science, Swinburne University
of Technology, Melbourne,
Australia and School of Law,
Psychology and Social Work,
Centre for Criminological and
PsychoSocial Research,
Örebro University, Sweden.
Abstract
Purpose –The psychopathy checklist: youth version (PCL: YV) checklist is an assessment of youth
psychopathic traits and is regularly validated by way of its associations with re-offending and violence.
Yet existing research has been conducted with predominantly white Caucasian cohorts and extant evidence
suggests that associations with recid ivism are stronger in samples with greater pr oportions of
white offenders. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach –This study investigated the cross-cultural validity of the PCL: YV for an
ethnically diverse Australian sample of 175 young male offenders in custody. Participants were assessed in
custody with the PCL: YV and offending data were collected post-release for up to 18 months.
Findings –PCL: YV total and domain scores were comparable across ethnicity; however the instrument
demonstrated stronger relationships with recidivism for Australian participants with an English speaking
background compared to Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse participants.
Practical implications –The authors advocate the cautionary employment of the PCL: YV as a violence risk
prediction instrument with minority young offenders regionally, pending further evidence.
Originality/value –This study addresses the capacity of the PCL: YV to predict violence across different
ethnic groups. Cross-cultural youth psychopathy research is currently inadequate and existing studies
suggest that the PCL: YV is a weaker predictor of violence in culturally diverse samples. This investigation
provides much needed information on the capacity of the PCL: YV to extend to different ethnic groups who
are represented Australia’s youth prison population. This is the first study of its kind regionally, and more
importantly is the first PCL: YV study with an Indigenous Australian comparison group. This is particularly
important given that Indigenous Australians are heavily overrepresented in Australia’s criminal justice system
and require appropriate risk assessment measures to ensure they are not misclassified. Research such as
this is now of particular interest given the recent judicial decision made in Ewert vs Canada.
Keywords Psychopathy, Young offenders, Ethnicity, Indigenous, PCL: YV, Violence risk assessment
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Psychopathy is a disorder encompassing a constellation of problematic interpersonal and
behavioral factors. Individuals with greater levels of psychopathy traits are often narcissistic,
manipulative, callous, emotionally shallow, and impulsive and engage in a range of antisocial and
irresponsible behaviors (Cleckley, 1976; Hare, 2003). The disorder has been contemporarily
operationalized through a renowned series of measures known as the Hare psychopathy
checklists. Though not intended as violence risk prediction instruments, the adult varieties –the
psychopathy checklist revised (PCL-R, Hare, 2003) and the psychopathy checklist screening
version (Hart et al., 1995) –have demonstrated associations with repeat offending, violence and
antisocial behaviors (Douglas et al., 2006; Gendreau et al., 2002; Hare, 2003; Leistico et al.,
2008). The PCL-R was later extended to adolescents in the form of the psychopathy checklist:
youth version (PCL: YV; Forth et al., 2003). The application of psychopathic personality disorder
Received 19 February 2016
Revised 8 March 2016
Accepted 9 March 2016
DOI 10.1108/JCP-02-2016-0006 VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016, pp. 51-62, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2009-3829
j
JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY
j
PAG E 51
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