SOCIO-FORENSIC VARIABLES AS PREDICTORS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER AMONG PRISON INMATES IN JOS PRISON, NIGERIA

Authors

  • IGBOANUSI Onyinye Christabel
  • OLUWAFEMI Oluwasunmi Odunayo
  • OKON Hope Edet

Keywords:

Antisocial Personality Disorder ASPD, MMPI-2RF, prison, prison inmates, socio-forensic variables, type of crime/offence, prison status

Abstract

This study assessed the social-forensic variables predicting antisocial personality disorder among prison inmates in Jos Prison, Nigeria. Using the MMPI-2RF, 199 inmates participated in the study. 189 were males (91.4%), and 10 were females (8.6%). Fifty-one(25.6%) were of ages 18 – 25yrs, ninety-three (46.7. %) were of ages 26 – 35yrs, thirty-four (17.1%) were of ages 36 – 45yrs, sixteen (8.0%) were of ages 46 – 55yrs and five (2.5%)  fell in the category of 56 and above. In regards to educational attainment, thirty-eight (19.1%) of the sampled inmates attained primary education, one hundred and fourteen (57.3%) attained secondary education, forty-seven (23.6%) attained up to the tertiary educational level. The study adopted the expost facto design. there was no significant differences in anti-social personality scores of prison inmates based on gender, RC4 (anti-social behaviour) (t(197) = 0.47; p>.05),  RC9 (hypomanic activation) (t(197) = 1.88; p>.05), DISC-r, (t(197) = 1.47; p>.05), AGG (t(197) = 1.83; p>.05), ANP, (t(197) = .49; p>.05) and JCP(t(197) = 0.02; p>.05).The result also show that inmates differ in dimensions of scores on anti-social personality scales (RC9= (F (3,193) = 3.21, p<.05), AGG = (F (3,193) = 5.94, p<.05) and JCP = (F (3,193) = 3.34, p<.05)  based on age. The result indicates that inmates significantly differ in scores on anti-social personality scales based on Type of crime (RC4= (F (4,193) = .52, p>.05); RC9 = (F (4,193) = .33, p>.05), DISC-r = (F (4,193) = 2.20, p>.05), AGG = (F (4,193) = 2.14, p>.05) ANP = (F (4,193) = .36, p>.05) and JCP = (F (4,193) = .51, p>.05). It was concluded that there is a high prevalence rate of ASPD (63.3%) in Jos Prison, Nigeria. Younger age should be considered when designing psychological intervention for prison inmates. Age, prison status and type of crime/offence are important predictors of ASPD among the prison population.                                                                               

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Published

2018-11-29

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Vol. 21 No. 3 (2018): AFRICAN JOURNAL FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF SOCIAL ISSUES

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