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Psychopathic criminals found to be highly mobile
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March 5, 2003
Psychopathic criminals are not only dangerous, they're highly mobile, according an SFU psychology study.
The study found criminals with higher psychopathic tendencies were nearly twice as mobile as criminals in the general population, committing crimes in 8.3 different cities and 2.6 different provinces, compared to 4.7 different cities and 1.5 provinces for non-psychopaths.
Their high level of mobility makes efforts to nab such criminals that much harder, says Sarah Hunter, who undertook the study for an honours undergraduate degree. She assessed the relationship between the psychopathy and geographic mobility of 311 male federal offenders serving two years or more at Mission medium security penitentiary. Most had criminal records stretching back a few decades, while some records dated back to the late 1950s.
The offenders' psychopathy ratings were assessed using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, developed by UBC professor emeritus Robert Hare, a pioneer in psychopathic research. The mobility patterns were determined by examining where crimes were committed and the distance between them.
Psychopaths are typically noted as being psychologically anti-social and unstable, traits which tend to be associated with high mobility, notes James Hemphill, a psychologist at Burnaby's Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services, who supervised Hunter's work along with associate criminology professor Gail Anderson. He says the findings were anticipated, and highlight the need for closer tracking of criminals with high psychopathic characteristics.
"In Canada, investigators can draw information on criminals from a central database, but in these cases it's clear that other sources of tracking beyond criminal records would be useful," says Hemphill, an adjunct professor in psychology.
Hunter adds the findings have implications for both the system and crime victims and that closer tracking is necessary between jurisdictions. "The combination of psychopathy and mobility may hamper criminal investigations, while it also widens geographical areas for victims," says Hunter, who now works for the North Vancouver RCMP's crisis intervention unit.
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Contact
Marianne Meadahl/Julie Ovenell-Carter, Media & PRr, 604.291.4323; marianne_meadahl@sfu.ca
The study found criminals with higher psychopathic tendencies were nearly twice as mobile as criminals in the general population, committing crimes in 8.3 different cities and 2.6 different provinces, compared to 4.7 different cities and 1.5 provinces for non-psychopaths.
Their high level of mobility makes efforts to nab such criminals that much harder, says Sarah Hunter, who undertook the study for an honours undergraduate degree. She assessed the relationship between the psychopathy and geographic mobility of 311 male federal offenders serving two years or more at Mission medium security penitentiary. Most had criminal records stretching back a few decades, while some records dated back to the late 1950s.
The offenders' psychopathy ratings were assessed using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, developed by UBC professor emeritus Robert Hare, a pioneer in psychopathic research. The mobility patterns were determined by examining where crimes were committed and the distance between them.
Psychopaths are typically noted as being psychologically anti-social and unstable, traits which tend to be associated with high mobility, notes James Hemphill, a psychologist at Burnaby's Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services, who supervised Hunter's work along with associate criminology professor Gail Anderson. He says the findings were anticipated, and highlight the need for closer tracking of criminals with high psychopathic characteristics.
"In Canada, investigators can draw information on criminals from a central database, but in these cases it's clear that other sources of tracking beyond criminal records would be useful," says Hemphill, an adjunct professor in psychology.
Hunter adds the findings have implications for both the system and crime victims and that closer tracking is necessary between jurisdictions. "The combination of psychopathy and mobility may hamper criminal investigations, while it also widens geographical areas for victims," says Hunter, who now works for the North Vancouver RCMP's crisis intervention unit.
—30—
Contact
Marianne Meadahl/Julie Ovenell-Carter, Media & PRr, 604.291.4323; marianne_meadahl@sfu.ca