Violent offenders with or without antisocial personality disorder

The influence of legal offences on the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a common discussion. A population of imprisoned delinquents diagnosed with ASPD was compared to delinquents without ASPD concerning sociodemographic, criminological and clinical characteristics to determine if ASPD can differentiate delinquents apart from committing legal offences. A total of 36 violent offenders with diagnosed ASPD and 29 violent offenders without ASPD were recruited in the prison of Straubing (Germany); 28 control subjects without previous convictions were recruited in the German population. All subjects were examined with the SKID-I and SKID-II, GAF, BIS-11, EPI and K-FAF. Violent offenders with ASPD differ from violent offenders without ASPD concerning the following parameters: high values of impulsivity, aggression, irritability, neuroticism and extraversion; low levels of psychosocial functioning, cumulative aEurobroken home" indicators and antisocial behaviour before the age of 11 (aEuroearly starters"). Some features are suitable for the discrimination between offenders with or without ADPD, but our results indicate that samples are better distinguished by a dimensional approach, oriented toward their degree of characteristics.