Int J Environ Res Public Health
June 2022
(1) Background: The one general psychopathology ( Factor) theory asserts that a superordinate dimensional construct encompasses underlying forms of psychopathology, but the theory has limited empirical linkages to criminology. (2) Methods: We utilized case reports from 12 male offenders selected from a federal jurisdiction in the central United States who were in the 99th percentile on a composite indicator of psychopathology to advance a qualitative study of the Factor. (3) Results: Clients experienced frequent and often pathological traumatic experiences and exhibited exceedingly early onset of conduct problems usually during the preschool period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe general psychopathology general theory or p Factor is an influential theoretical development in the social and behavioral sciences, but has yet to gain traction in criminology and criminal justice. Drawing on data from a sample of 1722 federal pretrial defendants, we created a 22-item composite indicator or additive index of the p Factor containing externalizing, internalizing, substance use, paraphilic, and forensic indicators. Negative binomial regression models found that age, sex, and diverse forms of trauma exposure are associated with higher p Factor scores.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Offender Ther Comp Criminol
October 2021
Protective factors facilitate success on community supervision, but relatively little is known about correctional clients who are highly compliant particularly in the federal system. Drawing on a near population of federal clients on supervised release in the Midwestern United States, the current study examined variables associated with compliant supervision status. One day on supervision contributed to a 1% reduction in the logged odds of supervision compliance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudies of the dark figure of sexual offending using federal correctional clients reported significant evidence of previously unknown or hidden sexual violence, often among clients with no official criminal history. Unfortunately, research has produced variable estimates of how large the dark figure is. The current study sought to replicate recent studies of federal sexual offenders about the dark figure of sexual offending.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Adverse childhood experiences are associated with multiple negative behavioral outcomes and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is particularly damaging. There is controversial evidence that CSA has a specialized effect on subsequent sexual offending.
Objective: The current study tested the hypothesis that CSA is associated with sexual offending.
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is a severe personality disorder with robust associations with crime and violence, but its precise etiology is unknown. Drawing on near-population of federal correctional clients in the Midwestern United States, the current study examined antecedent background factors spanning adverse childhood experiences and childhood psychopathology. Greater adverse childhood experiences were associated with ASPD diagnosis with physical abuse showing associations with ASPD symptoms and sexual abuse with lifetime diagnosis for ASPD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Law Psychiatry
January 2020
In community and correctional settings, gang status is a robust predictor of offending, unfortunately relatively few studies have considered behavioral disorders of offenders and whether these disorders mediate the gang-offending relationship. Drawing on a near population of correctional clients on federal supervised release, negative binomial regression and ROC-AUC models found that gang variables were rendered insignificant or were generally weak classifiers of severe offending once behavioral disorders were specified. The only exception was security threat group status that was robustly associated with prison misconduct.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdult antisocial behavior is almost always predated by delinquency during childhood or adolescence; however, there is also evidence of adult-onset criminal offending. This study examined this controversial subgroup of offenders using self-reported and official data from a total population of federal correctional clients selected from the Midwestern United States. Difference of means t-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression models found that 11.
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