Psychopathy and Sexuality in Adolescent Males: Evidence of a Mating Strategy?

Sexual behavior plays a prominent role in adult descriptions of psychopathy, and research shows associations between psychopathy in males and distinct aspects of sexuality, including impersonal, precocious, and coercive sexuality involving reproductively mature sexual partners. Evolutionary perspectives have suggested that consistent links with these sexual outcomes may reflect a male mating strategy that can result in reproductive success. But fewer studies have examined the various aspects of sexuality and psychopathic traits during adolescence, a time when reproductive strategies may become entrained.

Using a mixed sample of 156 criminal justice-involved and at-risk community male adolescents (M_age = 17.4, SD = 1.2), we examined associations of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version with impersonal, precocious, coercive, and mature (i.e., sexual interest in reproductively mature females) sexuality.

Psychopathic traits were associated with each aspect of sexuality, including impersonal, precocious, coercive sexuality as well as increased likelihood of showing a sexual interest in reproductively mature adult females.

The results suggest that psychopathy in adolescent males is associated with a unique pattern of sexuality like that seen in adult males and may suggest the beginnings of a young male mating strategy whose pattern of impersonal and coercive sexuality may continue into adulthood.