ABSTRACT
Although not explicitly listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), psychopathy is considered a personality disorder characterised by impairment in behavioural, interpersonal, and emotional domains of functioning. The utility of the psychopathy construct is likely to be underestimated when relying on more generic examples of offending outcomes. H. Cleckley was one of the first to describe in depth the prototypical symptoms of psychopathy that should be measured. The usefulness of the psychopathy construct to the criminal justice system and beyond is likely to be in its contribution to helping identify the most serious offenders within the criminal justice system. Psychopathic personality disturbances (PPD) represent a narrow, specific, and rare form of personality in the general population yet within this same population, criminal behaviour is ubiquitous. Sensitivity concerns whether the measure of offending is typical for those with PPD and specificity concerns whether the measure of offending is atypical of those without PPD.
