Predictions of violent and total infractions among institutionalized male juvenile offenders.

Forensic practitioners in settings with institutionalized adolescent offenders are frequently responsible for the accurate classification of problematic and potentially violent youths. Methods of assessment often include traditional tests, such as the MMPI and MMPI-A, and interview-based determinations of psychopathy. In a study of residential male adolescent offenders, the MMPI-A and the Screening Version of the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL:SV) were used to predict total, violent, self-injurious, and nonviolent infractions in a treatment-oriented facility for delinquents. In predicting the overall number of infractions, the MMPI-A was superior to the PCL:SV. Psychopaths manifested a significantly higher rate of violent infractions than nonpsychopaths. Finally, ethnic differences raise serious concerns about the generalizability of the PCL:SV; differences were found in the relationship between psychopathy and infractions based on ethnicity.