Psychopathy is associated with severe and frequent violence and antisocial behavior, but little is? known about its structure and validity in youth. Even less is known about psychopathy in females, a group at? substantial risk for aggression and violence. Objectives:The proposed study will examine psychopathy in a? multiethnic sample of maltreated and comparison adolescents in Los Angeles (LA),and increase? fundamental knowledge about this important risk factor for violence, particularly among young females.? Specific Aims: la) To delineate the factor structureof psychopathy [as measured bythe AntisocialProcess? ScreeningDevice (APSD; Frick& Hare, 2001 )] in this sample; Ib) To test the invariance of the resultant? factor model across gender, ethnic and maltreatment group 2) To examine the cross-informant validity of the? APSD via multitrait, multimethod approaches; and 3) To investigatethe relationship between APSD? psychopathy and aggression, conduct problems, and delinquency. Major Hypotheses: 1) a 3-factor structure:? will best characterize the APSD; 2) the APSD will show noninvariance across gender; 3) when examined? separately in males and females, the APSD will show cross-informant validity; 4) broadly, psychopathy will? be significantly positively related to aggression, conduct problems and delinquency. Study Design: The? proposed study utilizes data collected at the 3rd timepoint of the USC Young Adolescent Project, an ongoing? longitudinal study of the impact of neglect on development (Dr. Penelope Trickett, PI). Participants: A study? group(N=303) was recruited from substantiated maltreatment reports to the LA Department of Child and? Family Services within 10 zipcodes in urban LA. A comparison group (N=151)was recruited from schools in? the same 10 zipcodes. Mean age at study entry was 10.9 years (SD=1.15), and comprised 53% male, 39%? Latino,37% AfricanAmerican, 12% White and 12% mixed/biracial participants. Data is also collected from? caretakers and teachers. Measures: APSD scores will be correlated with scores on the? Aggressiveness/Bullyingand Delinquent Misbehavior subscales of the parent and self-report Child Behavior? Checklist (Achenbach, 1991; see Nollet al., in preparation), the Reactive-Proactive Questionnaire (Raine et? al., in press), and the self-report Adolescent Delinquency Questionnaire (see Huizinga & Morse, 1986).
