Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Hare psychopathy checklist-youth version (PCL:YV) in a sample of adolescents with criminal convictions

This study aimed to confirm the factor structure of the Italian version of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) in a sample of adolescents with criminal convictions. The sample was comprised of 116 adolescent boys aged 12–18 years. In addition to PCL:YV, the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) and the MMPI-A were used. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were performed; the final solution was a four-factors model with correlated latent factors. The internal consistency of each factor was acceptably high. Moreover, as expected, positive and high correlations with SAVRY scores, and a negative association with the SAVRY protective indicator, were found. The factor structure of the Italian PCL:YV specifically tested in this study with adolescents with criminal convictions, has confirmed that the Italian PCL:YV can be a suitable tool for the assessment of psychopathy dimensions among adolescents with criminal convictions in Italy.