Limitations of Extending Juvenile Psychopathy Research Assessment Tools and Methods to Forensic Settings

Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated significant associations between psychopathic-like characteristics in youths, which include affective, interpersonal, and behavioral dimensions, and severe and persisting conduct problems, violence, aggression, and antisocial behavior. The results of such studies have had practical considerations in the area of assessment with respect to the added specifier, "with limited prosocial emotions", for the diagnosis of conduct disorder, and to the inclusion of features that have been described as callous-unemotional (CU) traits on empirically supported juvenile risk assessment instruments. However, it is questionable whether findings obtained through research which provides anonymity and/or confidentiality to research participants are comparable across research and applied settings, and whether self-report youth psychopathy or CU questionnaire measures, which are vulnerable to deception, can effectively measure the same latent constructs in applied contexts. Forensic mental health evaluators attempt to obtain optimally consistent and reliable information through the use of multiple sources of information and through multiple assessment methods. Current practices of forensic mental health evaluators with regard to risk assessment and assessment of juvenile psychopathy are referenced. Some observations and suggestions are made to help meet the challenge of bridging the gap between research that utilizes self-report measures and applied forensic contexts.