The Role of Psychopathy in Subtypes of Aggression and Gun Violence

This study examined the relationship between psychopathy and subtypes of aggression and firearm violence among a high-risk, community-based sample of adults. Specifically, it assessed whether the four-facet model of psychopathy (interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial) was differentially associated with reactive and proactive aggression and reactive and proactive gun violence. Additionally, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to evaluate the factor structure of the Self-Report Psychopathy Short Form (SRP-SF) in this population.

A total of 458 violently injured adults (M_age = 32.8, SD = 12.8, 72% Male) were included in this study. A CFA assessed the SRP-SF facet structure. Regressions were conducted to determine if psychopathy total and facets scores were associated with reactive and proactive aggression and gun violence.

Total psychopathy was associated with reactive and proactive forms of aggression and gun violence. The four-facet model had a good fit. Regressions showed that the affective and lifestyle facets were related to reactive aggression, and the interpersonal and antisocial facets were related to proactive aggression. Higher affective facet scores were associated with increased odds of reactive gun violence, while higher antisocial facet scores were associated with increased odds of proactive gun violence.

The findings support the four-facet structure of psychopathy among a high-risk community sample and demonstrate its utility for differentiating violence subtypes. These results highlight the importance of considering psychopathy's multidimensional nature in understanding specific risks for firearm-related violence, providing valuable insights for targeted violence prevention and intervention strategies within healthcare and community settings.