Age of Crime Onset and Psychopathic Traits in Female Juvenile Delinquents

• Main Author: Pechorro, Pedro
• Publication Date: 2013
• Other Authors: Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa, Marôco, João, Nunes, Cristina, Jesus, Saúl Neves
• Format: Article
• Language: por
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: https://hdl.handle.net/10316/47471; https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X13489864
• topic: Adolescent; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Crime; Female; Humans; Juvenile Delinquency; Personality Inventory; Portugal; Prisoners; Psychometrics; Statistics as Topic; Age of Onset

The aim of this study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in the age of crime onset of female juvenile delinquents. Using a sample of 132 young females from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice and from schools in the Lisbon region, a group of early crime onset (n = 44), a group of late crime onset (n = 44), and a nondelinquent school group (n = 44) were formed. Results showed that early crime onset participants score higher on psychopathy measures, self-reported delinquency, and crime seriousness than late crime onset participants and school participants. Psychopathic-traits scores were significantly associated with age of crime onset, age at first trouble with the law, and frequency and seriousness of crime.