title: Predicting violent infractions in a Swiss state penitentiary: a replication study of the PCL-R in a population of sex and violent offenders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research conducted with forensic psychiatric patients found moderate correlations between violence in institutions and psychopathy. It is unclear though, whether the PCL-R is an accurate instrument for predicting aggressive behavior in prisons. Results seem to indicate that the instrument is better suited for predicting verbal rather than physical aggression of prison inmates.
  
  
  METHODS
  PCL-R scores were assessed for a sample of 113 imprisoned sex and violent offenders in Switzerland. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate physical and verbal aggression as a function of the PCL-R sum score. Additionally, stratified analyses were conducted for Factor 1 and 2. Infractions were analyzed as to their motives and consequences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean score of the PCL-R was 12 points. Neither the relationship between physical aggression and the sum score of the PCL-R, nor the relationship between physical aggression and either of the two factors of the PCL-R were significant. Both the sum score and Factor 1 predicted the occurrence of verbal aggression (AUC=0.70 and 0.69), while Factor 2 did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Possible explanations are discussed for the weak relationship between PCL-R scores and physically aggressive behavior during imprisonment. Some authors have discussed whether the low base rate of violent infractions can be considered an explanation for the non-significant relation between PCL-R-score and violence. The base rate in this study, however, with 27%, was not low. It is proposed that the distinction between reactive and instrumental motives of institutional violence must be considered when examining the usefulness of the PCL-R in predicting in-prison physical aggressive behavior.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric/Psychological Service, Criminal Justice System, Canton of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. jerome.endrass@mac.com
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Endrass
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossegger
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Urbaniok
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laubacher
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vetter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011330:Prisons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2003 Jun;71(3):443-51
references.pmid: 12795569
references.citation: J Interpers Violence. 2004 Jan;19(1):13-29
references.pmid: 14680527
references.citation: Nervenarzt. 2007 Jan;78(1):53-61
references.pmid: 16955314
references.citation: Behav Sci Law. 2000;18(5):623-45
references.pmid: 11113965
references.citation: Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr. 2007 Mar;75(3):155-9
references.pmid: 17031774
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 2002 Aug;111(3):436-45
references.pmid: 12150419
references.citation: Bull Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 1995;23(3):387-97
references.pmid: 8845529
references.citation: J Forensic Sci. 1996 Jan;41(1):56-9
references.pmid: 8934700
references.citation: Behav Sci Law. 1999;17(4):435-43
references.pmid: 10653992
references.citation: Psychol Assess. 2001 Jun;13(2):171-88
references.pmid: 11433793
references.citation: Assessment. 2005 Jun;12(2):145-61
references.pmid: 15914717
references.citation: Law Hum Behav. 1999 Apr;23(2):205-17
references.pmid: 10333757
references.citation: Int J Law Psychiatry. 1984;7(1):35-50
references.pmid: 6519865
references.citation: Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2008 Feb;52(1):81-9
references.pmid: 17615429
references.citation: Behav Sci Law. 1998 Summer;16(3):333-51
references.pmid: 9768465
references.citation: Int J Law Psychiatry. 2006 Sep-Oct;29(5):431-42
references.pmid: 16780950