Assessment of psychopathy in a population of incarcerated adolescent offenders

The reliability, validity, and factor structure of a modified version of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) for adolescents, was investigated, completed using file information only, in a sample of incarcerated Black and White male adolescents. Interrater reliability and internal consistency were high, and confirmatory factor analyses and coefficients of congruence showed that the factor structure in this sample resembled the 2-factor solution found in adults. No significant racial differences were found for reliability or mean PCL-R scores. In addition, relationships between PCL-R scores and psychometric measures and behavioral indicators of maladjustment were similar to those previously found in adult populations. The construct of psychopathy, as defined by the PCL-R modified for use with adolescents, appears applicable to both Black and White adolescent male offenders. The study gives evidence for the structural and substantive validity of the modified PCL-R in this population.