Juvenile psychopathy: A clinical construct in need of restraint? Academic Article

abstract

• Interest in psychopathic traits and their potential applicability to youths appears to be increasing precipitously in the social sciences. Although research on the causes, correlates, and course of traits that appear phenotypically similar to adult psychopathy potentially may inform clinical and legal decision making for youths some day, there are numerous problems with taking measures of these putative traits "outside the lab" at present. This article highlights several unresolved questions regarding juvenile psychopathy that seriously limit its applied utility in clinical and forensic decision making. Examiners who plan to use instruments intended to measure this construct among youths are advised to be familiar with these limitations and their implications for practice. 2008 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.

authors

• Edens, John

published proceedings

• JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICE

author list (cited authors)

• Edens, J. F., & Vincent, G. M.

citation count

• 83

complete list of authors

• Edens, John F||Vincent, Gina M

publication date

• January 2008

publisher

• Taylor & Francis  Publisher

published in

• Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice  Journal

keywords

• Diagnosis
• Juvenile Psychopathy
• Psychopathy

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1080/15228930801964042

start page

• 186

end page

• 197

volume

• 8

issue

• 2

URL

• http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1080%2F15228930801964042