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an examination of the factor structure of the psychopathy checklist

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psychopathic <strong>of</strong>fenders were signific<strong>an</strong>tly more likely to commit <strong>an</strong> instrumental<br />

homicide (93.3%) th<strong>an</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir nonpsychopathic counterparts (48.8%). These researchers<br />

attributed <strong>the</strong> high proportion <strong>of</strong> instrumental homicides committed by psychopaths to<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir marked lack <strong>of</strong> empathy, speculating that empathy <strong>an</strong>d concern for o<strong>the</strong>rs acts as<br />

a deterrent to engaging in instrumental violence. Their <strong>an</strong>alyses revealed that although<br />

both Factor 1 <strong>an</strong>d Factor 2 were relev<strong>an</strong>t in underst<strong>an</strong>ding this relationship, Factor 1<br />

(e.g., <strong>the</strong> interpersonal <strong>an</strong>d affective characteristics) was particularly import<strong>an</strong>t.<br />

Similarly, results from both <strong>an</strong> early study by Williamson et al. (1987) <strong>an</strong>d a more recent<br />

study conducted by Walsh et al. (2009) revealed that among adult <strong>of</strong>fenders, those with<br />

high PCL–R scores frequently engaged in violent crimes that were goal directed <strong>an</strong>d<br />

purposeful (e.g., for revenge or fin<strong>an</strong>cial benefit). Fur<strong>the</strong>r, among a community sample<br />

<strong>of</strong> both men <strong>an</strong>d women, Nouvion <strong>an</strong>d colleagues (Nouvion, Cherek, L<strong>an</strong>e,<br />

Tcheremissine, & Lieving, 2007) found that individuals classified as proactively<br />

aggressive (based on behavioural testing) had signific<strong>an</strong>tly higher <strong>psychopathy</strong> scores<br />

th<strong>an</strong> those classified as reactively aggressive.<br />

Although <strong>the</strong> link between <strong>psychopathy</strong> <strong>an</strong>d instrumental violence is well<br />

documented in <strong>the</strong> adult literature, it is less researched among youth samples.<br />

However, consistent with <strong>the</strong> downward extension <strong>of</strong> <strong>psychopathy</strong> to adolescence,<br />

research has begun to <strong>an</strong>alyze <strong>the</strong> association between <strong>psychopathy</strong> <strong>an</strong>d instrumental<br />

aggression in juvenile <strong>of</strong>fenders (e.g. Agar, 2009; Carpenter, 2010; Cook, Barese, &<br />

Dicataldo, 2010; Flight & Forth, 2007; Kruh, Frick, & Clements, 2005; Murrie et al.,<br />

2004; Vitacco et al., 2006). One study conducted by Murrie et al. (2004) evaluated <strong>the</strong><br />

association between <strong>psychopathy</strong> <strong>an</strong>d instrumental aggression in 113 incarcerated<br />

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