Theses and Dissertations

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Date of Award

1-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

First Advisor

Tom Kennedy

Keywords

Behavioral Activation; Behavioral Inhibition; Primary Psychopathy; Psychopathy; Secondary Psychopathy; Sex Offending

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and explore aspects of psychopathy salient to child and adolescent sex offending. There is a dearth of literature comparing the impacts of primary and secondary psychopathy on sexual offending behaviors in juveniles. Psychopathy has long been associated with criminality, but much of the literature has focused on psychopathy as a taxometric construct rather than a spectrum of traits (Sellbom & Drislane, 2020). Psychopathic traits identified in adolescence can be predictive of future offending (Lynam et al., 2009). The variability found among psychopathic traits likely has implications for criminal offending as well as therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, psychopathy research has found evidence for two variants (primary and secondary) which have theoretically distinct etiologies (Karpman, 1941; Lykken, 1995): secondary psychopathic traits, such as emotional dysregulation and reactivity, are also considered dynamic risk factors (i.e., factors that contribute to the risk of criminal offending and are "changeable"; Andrews & Bonta, 2006) and may be amenable to treatment-based interventions for those that sexually offend (Gannon et al., 2019). Sex offense-specific treatment is often customized to fit the specialized needs of an individual; these needs are based on treatment targets derived from risk assessment (Bonta & Andrews, 2017). Given the clinical utility of both identifying individuals with higher levels of dynamic risk and tailoring therapeutic interventions to better address offender needs (i.e., treatment targets; Vitacco et al., 2009), it is crucial to determine the nuances among psychopathic traits in relation to criminal offending in juveniles who sexually offend (JSOs).

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