Functioning of psychopathy and trait aggression as predictive variables of criminal recidivism

Abstract: This study analyzes several measures of aggression and psychopathy as possible factors involved in criminal recidivism. Sociodemographic data as well as aggression and psychopathy trait measures (CA, IPAS and TRIp) were obtained in a sample of 110 male inmates of a prison in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). The sample consisted of two groups of 55 subjects, characterized by the presence or absence of mental disorder. A total of 55.8% of the participants were persistent offenders. Recidivism showed a statistically significant association (p <0.05) with most of the dimensions studied for aggression, with higher scores on this variable in the group of reoffenders and in the group of inmates diagnosed with mental disorder. The variable that best predicted the likelihood of re-offending was psychopathic meanness. No statistically significant differences were found between the presence of a mental disorder and recidivism, although a greater percentage of recidivists presented a mental disorder (63.6%). Inmates with mental illness have a higher risk of criminal recidivism and this risk is associated with higher scores in trait aggression as well as higher scores in disinhibition and psychopathic meanness