Psychology of Violence, Vol 15(2), Mar 2025, 133-141; doi:10.1037/vio0000534
Objective: Gun violence in the United States poses an immense challenge to public health and the criminal justice system. Preventing gun violence requires a comprehensive understanding of risk factors. Psychopathy is a well-established risk factor for violence (Vaughn DeLisi, 2008) and is associated with a disproportionate share of violent offenses despite being represented by a relatively small segment of the population (Hare, 1999; N. D. Thomson, 2019). Although psychopathic traits often play a significant role in violence, there remains a scarcity of research exploring the association between psychopathy and gun violence. Method: The present study tested the relation between the four facets of psychopathy (affective, interpersonal, lifestyle, and antisocial) and different aspects of gun behavior and violence, including gun carrying with and without a concealed permit, defensive gun use, and engaging in firearm-related violence. Results: Firearm violence was positively related to the affective and antisocial facets of psychopathy. Whereas gun carrying without a concealed permit and defensive gun use were associated with only the antisocial facet. Gun carrying with a concealed permit was not related to any of the facets. Conclusion: These findings build on existing research on psychopathy and gun carrying among youth, suggesting that examining the facets of psychopathy can contribute to our understanding of the individual-level risk of gun violence among adults. The results also enhance the nuanced exploration of psychopathy’s role in different aspects of gun behavior, providing valuable insight into important risk factors to target during the intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)