Abstract
Psychopathy is recognized as a significant issue for the criminal justice system as it negatively impacts re-offending, compliance with institutional rules and regimes, inpatient interpersonal aggression in secure settings and responses to treatment. This chapter provides an overview of how the most commonly used measure to assess psychopathy, the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), can be used to inform the assessment and treatment of offenders with high levels of psychopathic traits. It considers the concept and measurement of psychopathy before moving on to review the empirical literature considering the efficacy of treatment with offenders with high levels of psychopathic traits. It then discusses the specific assessment and treatment needs of this group within the risk, need and responsivity (RNR) framework. Finally, the chapter considers possible directions for future research and practice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | What Works in Offender Rehabilitation: An Evidence-Based Approach to Assessment and Treatment |
| Editors | Leam A. Craig, Louise Dixon, Theresa A. Gannon |
| Publisher | John Wiley and Sons Inc. |
| Chapter | 7 |
| Pages | 129-141 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781118320655 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781119974574 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 31 Mar 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Criminal justice system
- Psychopathic offenders
- Psychopathic traits
- Psychopathy checklist-revised (PCL-R)
- Risk, need and responsivity (RNR) framework
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology
