Yusti Probowati Rahayu, Vendra Setiawan, Rizky Pradita Manafe, Indrajati Kohar

Juvenile Murderers: Is It the Impact of Dark Triad Personality or Lead Poisoning? A Comparative Study

Introduction

Juvenile murderers: is it the impact of dark triad personality or lead poisoning? a comparative study. Comparative study explores if Dark Triad personality or lead poisoning influences juvenile murderers. Higher lead levels found in juvenile murderers, highlighting a need for integrated psychological and pharmacological approaches.

Abstract

This study contributes by integrating psychological and pharmacological perspectives in understanding juvenile murderers. This is a comparative study that compares DTP and Pb between juvenile murderers and non-criminal juveniles. The participants were 7 juvenile murderers and 7 non-criminal juveniles. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy was used to examine Pb levels in hair. A modified Paulhus and William DTP questionnaire was applied to all participants. Qualitative data used interview and drawing test on juvenile murderers. Quantitative data on murderous and non-criminal juveniles for DTP used T Test and Pb were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Correlation between DTP and Pb used Pearson Correlation. Qualitative analyzed used thematic content analysis. Results revealed that there are has significant differences on Pb between JM and NCM. Pb levels in juvenile murderers were higher than those in noncriminal ones. There is no difference between juvenile murderers and noncriminal ones, according to DTP. However, descriptive statistics revealed that adolescent murderers typically had higher DTP than noncriminal ones. Based on the structural interview and psychological drawing test, juvenile murderers tend to have DTP characteristics. Spearman correlation showed that there was no correlation between Pb and DTP noncriminal adolescents. Further research is needed with more precise and comprehensive methods to find out the causes of teenagers committing murder, one of them is qualitative approach. Integration with pharmaceuticals remains necessary because juvenile murder cannot be explained solely by a psychological approach.

Review

This study presents an ambitious and intriguing premise by attempting to integrate psychological and pharmacological perspectives to understand the complex issue of juvenile murder. The comparative design, exploring the impact of Dark Triad Personality (DTP) and lead (Pb) levels between juvenile murderers and non-criminal juveniles, offers a novel interdisciplinary approach that could significantly advance our understanding of this critical social problem. The use of both quantitative (Pb levels, DTP questionnaire) and qualitative methods (interviews, drawing tests) for the juvenile murderers is commendable, indicating a desire for a holistic view of the phenomenon. The finding of significantly higher Pb levels in juvenile murderers compared to non-criminal juveniles is a particularly noteworthy result that warrants further investigation. However, the study is severely limited by its extremely small sample size, comprising only seven participants in each group. This sample size is insufficient to draw statistically robust conclusions from the quantitative analyses (T-tests, Mann-Whitney U, Pearson Correlation, Spearman correlation), regardless of the significance levels reported. The abstract itself highlights a contradiction regarding DTP, noting "no difference" quantitatively, yet "descriptive statistics revealed that adolescent murderers typically had higher DTP" and qualitative data supported DTP characteristics in this group. This discrepancy, likely influenced by the small N, underscores the challenge of interpreting the findings. Furthermore, the use of a "modified" DTP questionnaire without details on its validation for this specific population raises questions about the reliability and validity of the psychological assessment. To strengthen future iterations of this valuable research, a substantial increase in sample size is paramount to ensure statistical power and the generalizability of findings. Future studies should also provide comprehensive details on the modification and validation of psychological instruments used. Resolving the discrepancies in DTP findings through more robust methods and clearer reporting would be crucial. Expanding the qualitative approach to both groups, or providing a stronger justification for its focused application, could also yield richer insights. The initial interdisciplinary approach is a strong foundation, but integrating pharmacology and psychology requires rigorous methodology on both fronts to truly uncover the complex causes of juvenile murder.

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