Rui Xavier Vieira

Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device–Self-Report With a Focus on Delinquent Behavior and Behavior Problems

The main objectives of the present study were to validate a Portuguese version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device–Self-Report and to evaluate the predictive importance of some constructs in discriminating between inmate delinquent youth and community youth. With a total of 760 participants, male (n = 543) and female (n = 217), divided in an inmate forensic sample (n = 250) and a community sample (n = 510), the authors were able to demonstrate psychometric properties that justify its use with the Portuguese juvenile population, in terms of factor structure, internal consistency, temporal stability, convergent validity, divergent validity, concurrent validity, and cutoff score. The predictive importance of psychopathic traits, self-reported delinquent behavior, and behavior problems on the prediction of sample membership (forensic vs. community) was established by binary logistic regression.

Psychopathy and behavior problems: A comparison of incarcerated male and female juvenile delinquents

The objective of the present study was to compare incarcerated male and female juvenile offenders regarding psychopathic traits, behavior problems, psychopathy taxon, conduct disorder, self-reported delinquent behavior, and crime seriousness. Within a total forensic sample of 261 detainee participants, subdivided in a male group (n=217) and a female group (n=44), statistically significant differences were found. Female juvenile offenders show less callous-unemotional traits, more emotional symptoms, more prosocial behaviors, less self-reported delinquent behavior, and lower crime seriousness. Conduct disorder prevalence was very high, but no statistically significant gender differences were found. The predictive importance of psychopathic traits, behavior problems, psychopathy taxon, and conduct disorder for the prediction of group membership (female versus male) was established by binary logistic regression.

Psychological and behavioral adjustment in female youths with high or low psychopathic traits

The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in female juvenile delinquency. Using a sample of 236 young females from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice and schools in the Lisbon area, a group of female youths with high psychopathic traits (n=118; M=15.84 years of age; range=14-18 years of age) and a group of female youths with low psychopathic traits (n=118; M=15.77 years of age; range=14-18 years of age) were formed based on the Portuguese version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device-Self-report (APSD-SR). The results showed that young females with high psychopathic traits start engaging in criminal activities and come into contact with the justice system earlier in life; exhibit higher levels of behavioral problems, conduct disorder, delinquent behaviors and serious criminality; and demonstrate lower levels of self-esteem and pro-social behavior. The importance of some variables in predicting group membership (high versus low psychopathic traits) was established through a binary logistic regression. Our findings reinforce the importance of the psychopathy construct for the early identification of potentially high-risk female youths and for the assessment of female youths who have already come into contact with the judicial system.

Psychopathic traits and ethnicity in female youths

The aim of the present study was to analyze the differences regarding psychopathic traits and related constructs in female youths of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Using a sample of 88 young females from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice (white Europeans group: n = 44, ethnic minorities group: n = 44), and a sample of 130 young females from the schools of the Lisbon region (white Europeans group: n = 65, ethnic minorities group: n = 65) results showed that almost no differences were found within the forensic group and the school group. Independently of ethnic group membership, psychopathic traits scores were significantly associated with behavioral problems, conduct disorder, self-reported delinquency, crime seriousness, age of crime onset, and age at first trouble with the law.