Violence Under Control: Self-Control and Psychopathy in Women Convicted of Violent Crimes
Despite the increase in the study of women and crimes committed by them, investigations continue to be scarce. Self-control and psychopathy have been widely studied in incarcerated populations, though more frequently in males than females. This study examines these psychological variables related to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/5/656 |
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| author | Emma De Thouars Da Silva Sofia Knittel Afonso Borja Santos Bárbara Pereira Andreia de Castro Rodrigues |
| author_facet | Emma De Thouars Da Silva Sofia Knittel Afonso Borja Santos Bárbara Pereira Andreia de Castro Rodrigues |
| author_sort | Emma De Thouars Da Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite the increase in the study of women and crimes committed by them, investigations continue to be scarce. Self-control and psychopathy have been widely studied in incarcerated populations, though more frequently in males than females. This study examines these psychological variables related to substance use history and violent crime in a sample of 94 incarcerated women in Portugal. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Self-Control Scale, and Levenson’s Self-Report Psychopathy Scale—VP. We found average self-control levels, with lower scores among participants with substance use. Significant differences in self-control emerged between women who committed homicide and those who did not. Psychopathy scores were above average, with significant differences in Factor 2 (impulsivity) between those who committed homicide and those who did not. Self-control and psychopathy were negatively associated, and psychopathy predicted self-control. These findings, which are not entirely consistent with the literature, challenge common assumptions about self-control, psychopathy, and crime, particularly in incarcerated women, and suggest that different mechanisms may drive violent and non-violent crimes in women. These results reinforce the need to consider gender-specific pathways to crime, highlighting the urgency of continuing to investigate the manifestation, in women, of widely studied variables in male samples. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-748618f5cba64fdabcdb0822fc5d7cf6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-748618f5cba64fdabcdb0822fc5d7cf62025-08-20T01:56:14ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-05-0115565610.3390/bs15050656Violence Under Control: Self-Control and Psychopathy in Women Convicted of Violent CrimesEmma De Thouars Da Silva0Sofia Knittel1Afonso Borja Santos2Bárbara Pereira3Andreia de Castro Rodrigues4William James Center for Research, Ispa—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, PortugalWilliam James Center for Research, Ispa—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, PortugalWilliam James Center for Research, Ispa—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, PortugalWilliam James Center for Research, Ispa—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, PortugalWilliam James Center for Research, Ispa—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, PortugalDespite the increase in the study of women and crimes committed by them, investigations continue to be scarce. Self-control and psychopathy have been widely studied in incarcerated populations, though more frequently in males than females. This study examines these psychological variables related to substance use history and violent crime in a sample of 94 incarcerated women in Portugal. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Self-Control Scale, and Levenson’s Self-Report Psychopathy Scale—VP. We found average self-control levels, with lower scores among participants with substance use. Significant differences in self-control emerged between women who committed homicide and those who did not. Psychopathy scores were above average, with significant differences in Factor 2 (impulsivity) between those who committed homicide and those who did not. Self-control and psychopathy were negatively associated, and psychopathy predicted self-control. These findings, which are not entirely consistent with the literature, challenge common assumptions about self-control, psychopathy, and crime, particularly in incarcerated women, and suggest that different mechanisms may drive violent and non-violent crimes in women. These results reinforce the need to consider gender-specific pathways to crime, highlighting the urgency of continuing to investigate the manifestation, in women, of widely studied variables in male samples.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/5/656female criminalityself-controlpsychopathysubstance useviolent crimes |
| spellingShingle | Emma De Thouars Da Silva Sofia Knittel Afonso Borja Santos Bárbara Pereira Andreia de Castro Rodrigues Violence Under Control: Self-Control and Psychopathy in Women Convicted of Violent Crimes Behavioral Sciences female criminality self-control psychopathy substance use violent crimes |
| title | Violence Under Control: Self-Control and Psychopathy in Women Convicted of Violent Crimes |
| title_full | Violence Under Control: Self-Control and Psychopathy in Women Convicted of Violent Crimes |
| title_fullStr | Violence Under Control: Self-Control and Psychopathy in Women Convicted of Violent Crimes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Violence Under Control: Self-Control and Psychopathy in Women Convicted of Violent Crimes |
| title_short | Violence Under Control: Self-Control and Psychopathy in Women Convicted of Violent Crimes |
| title_sort | violence under control self control and psychopathy in women convicted of violent crimes |
| topic | female criminality self-control psychopathy substance use violent crimes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/5/656 |
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