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Abstract
The construct of narcissism, particularly the dimension of maladaptive narcissism, has been linked to numerous psychological and behavioral problems (e.g., Barry, Grafeman, Adler, & Pickard, 2007; Washburn, McMahon, King, Reinecke, & Silver, 2004). Much research has been done examining the narcissism construct in males, and often these results are generalized to females. A gender gap exists in the narcissism literature, particularly in regards to the juvenile offender population. The current study examined narcissism as it presents in female juvenile offenders using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory Juvenile Offender (NPI-JO; Calhoun, Glaser, Stefurak, & Bradshaw, 2000). Additionally, the current study examined the construct validity of the NPI-JO with female juvenile offenders as the NPI-JO has only been validated with male juvenile offenders.The NPI-JO and the Behavior Assessment System for Children - 2nd edition, Self-Report of Personality - Adolescent (BASC-2 SRP-A) were administered to female juvenile offenders. It was hypothesized that the NPI-JO factors found using the current sample of female juvenile offenders would differ from those NPI-JO factors found in a previous sample of male juvenile offenders (i.e., Calhoun et al., 2000). Secondly, it was hypothesized that the NPI-JO would demonstrate construct validity in the female juvenile offender sample through cross-validation with the BASC-2 SRP-A scales. Seven factors were identified through principal component analysis and both hypotheses were supported. Significant findings, implications, and future research directions are discussed.