Psychopathic Traits and Victimization: What Mechanisms Mediate the Relationship?
| Author | Leah E. Daigle,Brent Teasdale,Michelle N. Harris |
| Date | 01 July 2020 |
| Published date | 01 July 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0093854820919915 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
research-article2020
PsychoPathic traits and Victimization
What mechanisms mediate the relationship?
LEAH E. DAIgLE
MICHELLE N. HARRIS
Georgia State University
BRENT TEASDALE
Illinois State University
Psychopathy has been linked to a host of negative outcomes including victimization; yet, the mechanisms that may explain
this relationship have not been identified. Using data from the Pathways to Desistance study, a longitudinal study of adoles-
cents adjudicted for serious offenses (N = 1,354) who had been adjudicated in either Maricopa County, AZ, or Philadelphia
County, PA, we examine several mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between psychopathy and violent victimiza-
tion. A 1 SD increase in psychopathy increases the risk of victimization by about 9.3%, net of control variables. Psychopathy
is linked to violent victimization through its significant influences on engagement in risky behaviors, moral disengagement,
motivations to succeed, and expectations for the future. These findings are striking given that they identify factors such as
cognition and engagement in risky behavior that may be suitable targets for change in prevention or intervention efforts.
Keywords: psychopathy; victimization; risky behavior; violence; cognition
Psychopathy is a “socially devastating disorder” (Hare, 1996, p. 25) that is defined by
a constellation of characteristics including impulsivity, lack of empathy, persistent
violation of social norms, and shallow emotions to name a few. Behaviorally, people
high in psychopathic traits typically have poor behavioral control, are criminally versa-
tile, and have short-temperedness (Hare, 1999). Because of these characteristics, indi-
viduals who suffer from psychopathy may have a desire to harm others or engage in
criminal or antisocial behavior, a desire that nonpsychopathic people often do not have
or are able to quell (Hare, 1999). Based on these characteristics and behavioral tenden-
cies, it is not surprising that psychopathy has been associated with several negative
outcomes including engaging in violence (Hare, 1999; McCuish et al., 2015; Serin,
aUthors’ notE: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Leah E. Daigle,
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303; e-mail:
ldaigle@gsu.edu.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2020, Vol. 47, No. 7, July 2020, 886 –904.
DOI: 10.1177/0093854820919915
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Daigle et al. / PSyCHOPATHIC TRAITS AND VICTIMIZATION 887
1991; Skeem & Mulvey, 2001), delinquency (Somma et al., 2018), and substance abuse
(Darke et al., 1998; Sellbom et al., 2017).
Psychopathy has also been linked to the negative outcome of experiencing a victimiza-
tion (Beaver et al., 2016; Daigle & Teasdale, 2018; Dolan et al., 2013; Fanti & Kimonis,
2012; Silver et al., 2011). In attempting to understand the link between psychopathy and
victimization, prior research provides important insights. Specifically, researchers have
identified that features of psychopathy, such as impulsivity, violence perpetration, and devi-
ant behaviors, all place a person at risk for a victimization experience1 (Jennings et al.,
2010; Pratt et al., 2014).
PsychoPathy and Victimization
Although researchers have documented that victimization experiences can result in psy-
chopathic traits (Lang et al., 2002; Tatar et al., 2012; Weiler & Widom, 1996), few studies
have focused on how psychopathy may increase the risk of a person’s victimization. Of the
research that has examined the relationship between psychopathic traits and victimization,
it has been generally found that people who are higher in psychopathic traits are at a height-
ened risk for victimization experiences. For instance, Beaver and colleagues (2016) found
a significant association between psychopathic traits and the odds of being personally vic-
timized among a sample of youth residing within Saudi Arabia. Similarly, Fanti and Kimonis
(2012) found that among greek adolescents, dimensions of psychopathy predicted mem-
bership in bully and bully-victim groups.
Among clinical samples, psychopathy has also been implicated as a correlate of victimiza-
tion. For example, utilizing the MacArthur Risk Assessment Study sample—a multisite, lon-
gitudinal assessment of people with mental illness—Silver and colleagues (2011) found that
psychopathy was significantly related to both victimization and offending. Similarly, among
a community sample of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in Australia, Dolan
and colleagues (2013) found that people who had experienced serious violence scored higher
on all four facets of psychopathy than those who had not experienced serious victimization.
Researchers have also shown that psychopathy is related to recurring victimization.
Using data from the MacArthur Risk Assessment Study (MacRisk) and the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), Daigle and Teasdale (2018)
empirically examined the role of psychopathic traits in relation to recurring victimization.
The researchers found that in both, the clinical (MacArthur Risk Assessment Study) and
nonclinical (Add Health) samples, psychopathic traits were able to distinguish nonvictims
from both single victims and recurring victims (Daigle & Teasdale, 2018). Specifically,
psychopathic trait measures were higher for single victims than nonvictims and higher for
recurring victims than for single victims. The authors argued that the constellation of char-
acteristics that are commonly found among people high in psychopathic traits would
increase their risk of victimization and keep them at risk for recurring victimization.
Overall, these studies suggest that there is some evidence that psychopathy is related to
a person’s risk of victimization and recurring victimization experiences. This evidence
comes from both clinical and nonclinical samples and from multiple countries around the
world, indicating the robustness of this relationship. Despite this body of research findings,
there is still little that is known about this relationship. That is, there is limited research
examining why psychopathy and victimization are related.
888 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR
PotEntial caUsal PathWays BEtWEEn PsychoPathy and
Victimization
Although researchers have determined that psychopathy and victimization are related,
there is still little known about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Using the life-
styles/routine activities perspective along with the social interactionist perspective, we
argue that the behavioral, interpersonal, and cognitive–affective domains that characterize
psychopathy may explain the links between psychopathy and victimization.
lifEstylE/roUtinE actiVitiEs thEory, thE social intEractionist
PErsPEctiVE, and PsychoPathy
Routine activities theory (RAT) highlights that victimization occurs when motivated offend-
ers, suitable targets, and a lack of capable guardianship converge in time in space (Cohen &
Felson, 1979). Lifestyle-exposure theory is often used along with RAT in that it suggests that a
person’s risk for victimization is tied to the behaviors in which they engage. Specifically, spend-
ing time in places high in crime and being exposed to criminals are considered particularly
risky for victimization (Hindelang et al., 1978). These theoretical perspectives have been used
in tandem to explain why some persons are prone to victimization (Miethe et al., 1987) and
may help explain why people high in psychopathy would be likely to be victimized.
For example, people who are high on psychopathy tend to be more aggressive (Heilbrun
et al., 1998; Reidy et al., 2007, 2011). Because of this tendency, they may place themselves
in situations that are conducive for victimization experiences. For instance, if such a person
is aggressive toward a person—through language or posturing—this may cause an aggres-
sive behavioral response from the person they offended, ultimately leading to a victimiza-
tion event for the person high in psychopathic traits. Furthermore, they may be more likely
than others to respond with aggression to every day slights, thus escalating situations to
victimizing events.
Also relevant to victimization risk, people high in psychopathic traits may engage in an
array of risky lifestyle choices. In fact, researchers have found that people with this charac-
teristic engage in high rates of substance abuse (gustavson et al., 2007; Hemphill et al.,
1994; Smith & Newman, 1990), crime (Hemphill et al., 1998), violence perpetration (Blair
& Lee, 2013; Nolan et al., 1999; Skeem et al., 2002; Skeem & Mulvey, 2001), and antisocial
activities with peers (Muñoz et al., 2008). Because of these risky lifestyle choices, people
high in psychopathic traits may be more likely than others to place themselves in situations
that are conducive for victimization. That is, as lifestyles/RAT suggests, engagement in
risky behaviors such as substance abuse or crime perpetration may expose a vulnerable
person to an environment filled with motivated offenders and lack of capable guardians
(Cohen & Felson, 1979; Hindelang et al., 1978).
People high in psychopathy may be particularly unlikely...
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