Borderline personality disorder and antisocial traits in justice-involved males: Associations with aggression, violent crime, and adverse childhood experiences

Abstract

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial traits are common in justice-involved samples, but research on their dynamics, precursors, and aftereffects regarding aggressive and violent behavior is scarce. In order to enlarge the current knowledge needed for effective risk assessment and reduction, the present study examined patterns of BPD and antisocial traits in a sample of 315 justice-involved males who had undergone psychological/psychiatric evaluation, focusing on their relations with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), self-reported physical aggression, as well as officially registered previous and future violent crime. Based on a comprehensive analysis of psychiatric/psychological evaluation reports and individuals’ self-ratings, latent class analysis identified three distinct classes with (1) high probability of BPD and antisocial traits (n = 63), (2) high probability of antisocial traits only (n = 150), and (3) low probability of either (n = 102). Compared to the latter, both symptomatic classes were characterized by high ACE burden. Whereas the borderline-antisocial class showed associations with increased self-reported physical aggression but not with convictions for violent crimes, the antisocial class was related to both aggression ratings and registered violent offending. Moreover, elevated ACE scores indicated incremental predictability for physical aggression ratings and violent criminality over class membership. The present findings highlight the need to carefully assess personality disturbances and ACEs in justice-involved populations in order to apply the most effective intervention measures to address each individual's criminogenic needs as accurately as possible.