Our research aims to understand more about the concept of child and adolescent psychopathy, as well as prevention and treatment of psychopathy.
Listed here are our publications and main findings:
Listed here are our publications and main findings:
- Lee, Z., Salekin, R. T., & Iselin, A. R. (2010). Psychopathic traits in youth: Is there evidence of primary and secondary subtypes? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38, 381-393. – This study employed model-based cluster analysis and identified 3 clusters in a sample of male adolescent offenders that varied in the severity of psychopathic traits and anxiety. The high psychopathic group exhibited more negative personality traits and was judged to be at greater risk for dangerousness while the low psychopathic group exhibited more positive personality traits and was judged to be at lower risk for dangerousness.
- Salekin, R. T., Worley, C. B., & Grimes, R. D. (2010). Treatment of psychopathy: A review and brief introduction to the mental models approach. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 28, 235-266. – This review article examined research on the treatment of psychopathy with adults and youths, and found that treatment for adults show low to moderate success with 3 of 8 studies demonstrating treatment gains. Treatment of youths appears to be more promising with 6 out 8 studies showing treatment benefits.
- Kubak, F., & Salekin, R. T. (2009). Psychopathy and anxiety in children and adolescents: New insights and developmental pathways to offending. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 31, 271-284. – This study found that higher level of fearlessness was linked to higher levels of psychopathy and later offending. However, higher levels of trait anxiety were also linked to higher levels of psychopathy and subsequent offending. Results imply that children who present with psychopathic like features still report anxiety symptoms such as distress from being away from home, concern for their well-being and concern for the well-being of important care-givers.