Personality, delinquency, and criminal recidivism
Van Dam, C.; De Bruyn, E.E.J.; Janssens, J.M.A.M.
Adolescence 42(168): 763-777
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-8449 PMID: 18229510 Document Number: 611515
This study explores the relationship between PEN profiles, delinquency, and recidivism in young offenders. According to Eysenck, personality is based on three basic Dimensions: Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism (PEN-model). Eysenck states that delinquents score high on all three dimensions. A group of young male offenders in a juvenile detention center in The Netherlands were studied to test Eysenck's hypothesis, which was partially confirmed. From a cluster analysis it appear that only a small group of offenders had high scores on all three PEN dimensions. Finally, it was concluded that the PEN profiles were not able to differentiate between recidivists and nonrecidivists.