Introduction to this Issue: Violent and Antisocial Behavior in Women

Psychopathy in women, long a neglected topic, has gained some measure of attention in recent years. In 2005 and 2006, Nicholls and Petrila co-edited two companion issues of Behavioral Sciences and the Law on gender and psychopathy. Although commenting that authors are increasingly recognizing the relevance of psychopathy in women, Nicholls and Petrila (2005) noted the lack of research in that area. Also noting that until recently psychopathy in women had been overlooked by researchers, Verona and Vitale (2006) found in the literature both similarities and remarkable differences in psychopathy in women in comparison with male psychopathy. In a further review of the literature on the topic Nicholls, Odgers, and Cooke (2007) observed that while there is good reason to apply the construct to women, the manifestation and prevalence rates of psychopathy are markedly different in women and girls. They concluded with the recognized need for more research on female psychopathy while cautioning against uncritical application of the construct of psychopathy to women. Most efforts to understand violent and antisocial behavior have tended to focus on males, since men show greater involvement in these behaviors. Yet it is equally, if not more, important to understand female involvement in these behaviors. For example, learning why women commit fewer crimes and show less violence than men could help to illuminate the underlying causes of these problem behaviors and how they might better be controlled. While gender is the single best predictor of violent and antisocial behavior (men committing more and women committing less), this distinction appears to be changing. Presently women comprise a small segment of all the people serving prison terms in the U.S., but their number is rising at a far faster rate than that of men. In correctional populations generally, Lewis (2010) observed differences in the likelihood and patterns of criminal offending among women. For example, female offenders tend to show higher co-morbidities and more complicated psychopathology. Because the vast majority of prisoners are men, correctional services, including mental health services, have been developed primarily for male offenders (Lewis, 2010); sometimes, it should be added, with resultant discrepancies in the mental health care services afforded to female offenders, discrepancies that can be exacerbated by a comparative dearth of informing research. This special issue consists of a selection of original research reports representing investigations into diverse aspects of violent and aggressive behavior in women. We believe these studies advance the knowledge of abnormal aggression in women in 10 critical areas. We hope the readers of Behavioral Sciences and the Law concur.