Abstract
The present study constructed empirically derived subtypes of adolescent offenders based on general traits and examined their
associations with psychopathology and psychopathic traits. The sample included 342 detained minors (172 boys and 170 girls;
mean age 15.85 years, SD = 1.07) recruited in various Youth Detention Centers across the Flemish part of Belgium. All adolescents
provided self-reports on the quick big five, the youth self report, and the youth psychopathic traits inventory to assess
general traits, psychopathology, and psychopathic traits respectively. Latent class analyses based on general personality
traits were performed and suggested three personality types, consisting of an emotionally labile, close–minded and goal–oriented class, an undercontrolled class, and an emotionally labile–careless class. These three personality types within detained minors showed particular constellations of general traits and differed
meaningfully in terms of their mean-scores on externalizing psychopathology and psychopathy measures.
associations with psychopathology and psychopathic traits. The sample included 342 detained minors (172 boys and 170 girls;
mean age 15.85 years, SD = 1.07) recruited in various Youth Detention Centers across the Flemish part of Belgium. All adolescents
provided self-reports on the quick big five, the youth self report, and the youth psychopathic traits inventory to assess
general traits, psychopathology, and psychopathic traits respectively. Latent class analyses based on general personality
traits were performed and suggested three personality types, consisting of an emotionally labile, close–minded and goal–oriented class, an undercontrolled class, and an emotionally labile–careless class. These three personality types within detained minors showed particular constellations of general traits and differed
meaningfully in terms of their mean-scores on externalizing psychopathology and psychopathy measures.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Article
- Pages 1-16
- DOI 10.1007/s10578-012-0320-3
- Authors
- Mieke Decuyper, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Olivier F. Colins, Curium-Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Barbara De Clercq, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Robert Vermeiren, Curium-Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Eric Broekaert, Department of Orthopedagogy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Patricia Bijttebier, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Annelore Roose, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Filip De Fruyt, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Journal Child Psychiatry & Human Development
- Online ISSN 1573-3327
- Print ISSN 0009-398X