Criminal characteristics and psychopathy in women in prison.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the factors and facets of psychopathy based on criminal characteristics in a sample of women in prison. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Descriptive, comparative, cross-sectional study composed of a sample of 41 women incarcerated in the Ambato prison in Ecuador. In an individual session, the Hare Psychopathy Scale Revised was applied. RESULTS: Recidivist women, with a juvenile criminal history and who are admitted to the maximum-security ward, have a higher score in the affective facet of the PCL-R. In addition, those women who are in the maximum-security pavilion have scored high in factor 2 (social deviance), mainly in the antisocial aspect. DISCUSSION: This subgroup of women in prison is characterized by lack of remorse, emotional insensitivity, manipulation, inability to accept responsibility for their own actions, and superficial affection. Further expansion of the study of psychopathy in women is required.

Características delictivas y psicopatía en mujeres en prisión / Criminal characteristics and psychopathy in women prison

Objetivos: Comparar los factores y facetas de la psicopatía en función de las características delictivas en una muestra de mujeresen prisión.Material y método: Estudio descriptivo, comparativo, de corte transversal, compuesto por una muestra de 41 mujeres encarceladasen el centro penitenciario de Ambato en Ecuador. En una sesión individual, se aplicó la escala de evaluación de lapsicopatía de Hare revisada (PCL-R).Resultados: Las mujeres reincidentes, con historial delictivo juvenil y que se encuentran ingresadas en el pabellón de seguridadmáxima, presentan mayor puntuación en la faceta afectiva de la PCL-R. Además, aquellas mujeres que se encuentran en el pabellónde máxima seguridad han puntuado alto en el factor 2 (desviación social), principalmente en la faceta antisocial.Discusión: Este subgrupo de mujeres en prisión se caracteriza por presentar ausencia de remordimiento, insensibilidad afectiva,manipulación, incapacidad de aceptar la responsabilidad de las propias acciones y afecto superficial. Se requiere ampliar más elestudio de la psicopatía en mujeres. (AU)

Objectives: To compare the factors and facets of psychopathy based on criminal characteristics in a sample of women inprison.Material and method: Descriptive, comparative, cross-sectional study composed of a sample of 41 women incarcerated in theAmbato prison in Ecuador. In an individual session, the Hare Psychopathy Scale Revised was applied.Results: Recidivist women, with a juvenile criminal history and who are admitted to the maximum-security ward, have a higherscore in the affective facet of the PCL-R. In addition, those women who are in the maximum-security pavilion have scored highin factor 2 (social deviance), mainly in the antisocial aspect.Discussion: This subgroup of women in prison is characterized by lack of remorse, emotional insensitivity, manipulation, inabilityto accept responsibility for their own actions, and superficial affection. Further expansion of the study of psychopathy in womenis required. (AU)