Exploring Relational Aggression and Psychopathic Traits in an Incarcerated Adolescent Female Population

• Main Author: Marotta, Regina M.
• Language: EN
• Published: The Chicago School of Professional Psychology 2016
• Subjects: Clinical psychology|Criminology
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10075044

<p>In forensic psychology, adolescents who display psychopathic traits could be distinguished from other peers by the early onset of their violent criminal behaviors and repetitiveness of unlawful actions. These adolescents tend to demonstrate expressions of psychopathic traits such as manipulative tendencies, deceitfulness, lack of empathy and remorse, impulsiveness, and irresponsibility in relations with others. Examining early expressions of psychopathy may help clinicians better understand how psychopathy manifests and develops, and perhaps identify the developmental period when the traits are least stable and potentially more responsive to treatment. It is still unclear if psychopathic traits in adolescent females can be measured by the same factor structures present in current measurement tools, and whether or not psychopathic behaviors seen in adolescent males are the same in adolescent females. Interpersonal and affective deficits within psychopathy also overlap with several forms of relationally aggressive behaviors seen in adolescent females; therefore, relationally aggressive behaviors could contribute to or correlate with psychopathy. This study examined the relationship between relational aggression and psychopathic traits amongst a sample of incarcerated adolescent females. An exploratory factor analysis was executed to determine the reliability and validity of the Youth Psychopathic Inventory (YPI) and Diverse Adolescent Relational Aggression Scale (DARAS) with an incarcerated adolescent female population. Correlational analyses were completed to demonstrate a positive relationship between relational aggression and psychopathic traits. Finally, a factorial MANOVA was performed to demonstrate no distinguishable significant differences with age and race/ethnicity in regard to relational aggression and psychopathic traits within this population. </p>