PSYCHOPATHY AND SEXUAL ASSAULT - STATIC RISK-FACTORS, EMOTIONAL PRECURSORS, AND RAPIST SUBTYPES

This study compared psychopathic and nonpsychopathic rapists on static risk factors and on emotional and motivational precursors. Sixty inca rcerated rapists were assessed for psychopathy with the Psychopathy Ch ecklist-Revised (R. D. Ware, 1991), and they were classified according to the Massachusetts Treatment Center: Revised Rapist Typology, Versi on 3 (R. A. Knight & R. A. Prentky, 1990b). Psychopathy was positively associated with past nonsexual offenses and negatively associated wit h age onset for criminal offending, number of sexual victims, and the intensity of negative emotions experienced before sexual offending. Ho wever, psychopathy was not related to sexual offense history, age of o nset for sexual offending, or victim harm. Last, psychopaths were most likely to be classified as opportunistic and pervasively angry rapist s. The findings indicate that psychopathy should be considered when de veloping intervention strategies for rapists.