Violent Behavior: Personality Theories

When individuals commit crimes, particularly violent ones, lawyers and judges as well as the public at large are interested in determining why. An assessment of the offender's personality or ego development can be very helpful in this regard, because it is designed to reveal how a particular person makes sense of the world. In addition to helping interpret behavior, knowing an individual's personality level can be useful in evaluating the credibility of his or her statements. This is often invaluable in assessing issues related to the prognosis and likelihood of continued criminal behavior, as well as in charting appropriate treatment strategies.

Several frameworks for measuring personality or ego development currently exist. The four that have been used most extensively in classifying offenders in numerous correctional agencies ...