Psychopathy and violent offenses: a comparison between incarcerated men and women in Portugal

Research suggests psychopathic traits may differ by gender, yet comparative studies are limited. This study compared Portuguese incarcerated men and women on psychopathy and examined whether psychopathy and its facets are associated with violent offenses. A total of 131 men and 63 women were assessed with the Revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R). Men scored higher on total psychopathy, interpersonal, and affective facets, while women scored higher on the lifestyle facet. No significant associations were found between psychopathy (total or facets) and violent offenses in either gender. These findings may inform interventions and policies to reduce reoffending among individuals with psychopathic traits.
This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre [PSI/01662], School of Psychology, University of Minho, supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the Portuguese State Budget [UIDB/01662/ 2020]. This study was also funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education), under HEI-Lab R&D Unit [UIDB/05380/2020, https://doi.org/10.54499/ UIDB/05380/2020].