Psychopathy among Mexican American Gang Members: A Comparative Study

• Date: 01 February 2000
• Author: Charles D. Kaplan,Avelardo Valdez,Edward Codina
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X00441005
• Published date: 01 February 2000
• Subject Matter: Journal Article

InternationalJournalofOffenderTherapy and Comparative Criminology

PsychopathyAmongMexicanAmericanGangs

Psychopathy Among Mexican

American Gang Members:

A Comparative Study

Avelardo Valdez

Charles D. Kaplan

Edward Codina

Abstract: High-risk Mexican American males were assessed for levels of psychopathy.The

Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Screening Version was compared in a random sample of gang

members with a matched community sample of violent non-gang members and samples of

forensic and psychiatric patients and undergraduate students. Analysis involved t-test, chi-

square, and Cronbach’salpha statistics. More than half of the gang sample were categorized

as low,44% as moderate, and only 4% as high on psychopathy. The gang members had higher

scores on the total, affective,and behavioral scores than the non–gang members. High scores

onadolescent antisocialbehavior, poorbehavioral controls, andlack ofremorse werefoundin

both samples. Gang members scored twice as high as non-gang members on lackof empathy.

Both samples were lower on psychopathy than the forensics and higher than psychiatric

patientsandundergraduates.The resultsprovide groundsfor earlyintervention effortsfor this

high-risk population.

Themostpublicized reportsof youthviolencein theUnited Stateshave beenasso-

ciated with gangs. The percentage of students reporting street-gang presence at

school nearly doubled between 1989 and 1995, increasing from 15.3% to 28.4%

(U.S. Department of Justice, 1996). Current research indicates that gang violence

is on the increase, especially among minorities residing in economically

depressed urban communities (Maxson & Klein, 1995). Vigil (1988) has argued

that involvementin gang activities for Mexican Americans is explained by a con-

stellation of ecological, socioeconomic, and psychological factors. Researchers

have shownthat normal peer friendship and emotional support activities are com-

bined with antisocial features to enhance the gang members’sense of recognition,

respect, and toughness within socially marginalized communities (Bourgois,

1995; Jankowski, 1991). Membership in a gang culminates in the acquisition of a

distinct adolescent identity based on involvement in street life and delinquent

NOTE:This studywas fundedby theHogg Foundationas asupplement tothecurrent federallyfunded

University of Texasat San Antonio (UTSA), Hispanic Research Center (HRC) research study titled

“Drug-Related Gang Violence in South Texas,” supported by a National Institute on Drug Abuse

(NIDA) grant (RO1 DAO8604-02).

International Journal of Offender Therapy and ComparativeCriminology, 44(1), 2000 46-58

2000 Sage Publications, Inc.

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