Summary: A comprehensive 15-year Swedish study of women charged with lethal or attempted lethal violence finds that psychopathy is uncommon among female perpetrators. Instead, most acted under provocation, perceived threat, or intense emotional arousal. About half of the 175 cases reviewed were assessed as having a severe mental disorder (SMD). Women with SMD displayed a modestly greater tendency toward short-term planning, but even in this group emotional arousal and reactive motives predominated.
Key Facts:
- Female offenders in the study showed generally low psychopathy scores and primarily reactive motives rather than instrumental ones.
- Women assessed with a severe mental disorder showed slightly more short-term planning (thoughts up to 24 hours before the act) but still acted under high arousal.
- Many women had prior exposure to violence and a notable number had sought help before the incident, indicating potential opportunities for prevention.
Source: University of Gothenburg
Overview
Research on female perpetrators of lethal violence is smaller in scope than that on male offenders. To fill this gap, researchers examined all 175 cases in Sweden from 2000 to 2014 in which women underwent court-ordered forensic psychiatric investigations following charges of homicide, attempted homicide, manslaughter or related lethal violence. The study aimed to explore relationships among psychopathy, the type of violent act (instrumental versus reactive), and the presence of a severe mental disorder.
Using structured assessments—the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) to evaluate psychopathic traits and the Violent Incident Coding Sheet (VICS) to classify instrumental versus reactive features—the study found that female offenders, overall, scored relatively low on psychopathy and were more often driven by reactive motives. These motives typically involved perceived threats, self-defense, or protection of others rather than goals like financial gain or power.
Reactive motives, not instrumental drive
Across the sample, reactive violence predominated: the acts were commonly committed under high emotional arousal and provocation. Instrumental motives—planned aggression intended to secure power, money, or other benefits—were uncommon. This distinction matters for both clinical assessment and criminal justice responses, as reactive violence typically reflects immediate emotional and situational triggers rather than calculated, goal-oriented criminality.
Severe mental disorder and short-term planning
Approximately half of the women (n = 84) were assessed as having a severe mental disorder according to medico-legal criteria used in Sweden. This SMD group exhibited some notable differences: they tended to score lower on overall PCL-R total and on the interpersonal facet, yet they more often showed brief periods of planning or consideration before acting—most commonly thoughts or planning within 24 hours prior to the violent act. Despite this slightly higher degree of short-term planning, high arousal and reactive triggers remained central to their behavior.
Importantly, even where short-term planning was present, the study did not find evidence of prolonged, sophisticated preparation. The planning observed was typically limited in scope and duration, reinforcing the picture of emotionally driven acts rather than long-term instrumental schemes.
Background risks and prevention opportunities
Many women in the study had histories of exposure to violence, prior suicide attempts, or other severe psychosocial difficulties. Earlier research and the present findings indicate that women who commit violent crimes are more likely than men to have sought help from health or social services prior to offending. This pattern suggests points of intervention: professionals who encounter women with histories of victimization, suicidal behavior, or expressed distress should also assess for any thoughts or plans related to using violence, especially in contexts of ongoing threat or coercion.
As one of the study’s lead researchers noted, asking about a person’s own thoughts of using violence is an important but often neglected element of risk assessment. Because lethal violence by women is rare, practitioners may overlook or avoid this line of questioning, yet it could reveal opportunities to prevent escalation.
Fact box
Psychopathy: Psychopathy describes a cluster of personality traits and behaviors—such as lack of empathy, absence of guilt or remorse, manipulativeness, and grandiosity—often linked to antisocial behavior. It is measured in forensic settings but is not a standalone diagnosis in standard diagnostic manuals; it overlaps with constructs like antisocial personality disorder in severe cases.
Severe mental disorder (SMD): In this context, SMD is a medico-legal concept used in Sweden to assess whether a suspect’s mental illness or behavioral disorder is severe enough to affect criminal responsibility and court decisions about appropriate sanctioning, such as imprisonment versus forensic psychiatric care.
About this forensic psychiatry and mental health research
Author: Margareta G. Kubista ([email protected])
Source: University of Gothenburg
Contact: Margareta G. Kubista – University of Gothenburg
Image credit: Neuroscience News
Original Research (open access): “Links Between Psychopathy, Type of Violence, and Severe Mental Disorder among Female Offenders of Lethal Violence in Sweden” by Karin Trägårdh et al. DOI: 10.1177/14999013251345496. Published in the International Journal of Forensic Mental Health.
Abstract (condensed)
This study included all female offenders (N = 175) in Sweden who underwent court-ordered forensic psychiatric investigations after being charged with lethal or attempted lethal violence between 2000 and 2014. Structured assessments used the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Violent Incident Coding Sheet (VICS). Overall findings indicate low levels of psychopathy and predominately reactive motives among female offenders. The subgroup assessed with a severe mental disorder scored lower on PCL-R total and interpersonal facet but showed somewhat higher VICS arousal and short-term planning (planning within 24 hours versus no planning). The study highlights the complexity of female lethal violence and has implications for forensic psychiatric assessment, risk management, and prevention strategies.