Measuring Aggression in German Youth Prison—A Validation of the German Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) in a Sample of Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders

• Author: Evelyn Heynen,Peer Van der Helm,Geert Jan Stams,Jesse Roest
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211023923
• Published date: 01 October 2022
• Date: 01 October 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211023923

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2022, Vol. 66(13-14) 1475 –1486

© The Author(s) 2021

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/0306624X211023923

journals.sagepub.com/home/ijo

Article

Measuring Aggression in

German Youth Prison—A

Validation of the German

Reactive-Proactive Aggression

Questionnaire (RPQ) in

a Sample of Incarcerated

Juvenile Offenders

Evelyn Heynen1, Peer Van der Helm2,3,

Geert Jan Stams3, and Jesse Roest2

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine construct validity and reliability of the

German reactive proactive aggression questionnaire (RPQ) in a sample of delinquent

boys (N = 156). A confirmatory factor analysis with a two-factor model of reactive

and proactive aggression showed a good fit to the data. The factor structure of the

original RPQ could be fully replicated in the German translation, and Cronbach’s alphas

were good for both subscales. Concurrent validity of the RPQ was demonstrated by

significant correlations with the subscales of the inventory of callous unemotional

traits. In future studies, the German RPQ can be used to assess reactive and proactive

aggression in judicial and forensic psychiatric care in Germany. The present findings

also provide support for the use of the RPQ in cross-cultural comparisons.

Keywords

reactive aggression, proactive aggression, German, youth detention

1Open Universiteit, Heerlen, The Netherlands

2Hogeschool Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands

3Universiteit van Amsterdam, Holland, The Netherlands

Corresponding Author:

Evelyn Heynen, Open Universiteit, Valkenburgerweg 177, Heerlen 6401 DL, The Netherlands.

Email: evelyn.heynen@ou.nl

1023923IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X211023923International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyHeynen et al.

research-article2021