Adolescent Psychopathic Traits and Violent Delinquency: Additive and Nonadditive Effects With Key Criminological Variables. (October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Flexon, Jamie L.; Meldrum, Ryan C.
• Is Part Of: Youth violence and juvenile justice. Volume 11:Number 4(2013)
• Page Start: 349
• Page End: 369
• Publication Date: 2013-10
• Subjects: psychopathy -- juvenile violence -- delinquent peers -- self-control -- interactions; Youth and violence -- United States -- Periodicals; Juvenile justice, Administration of -- United States -- Periodicals; Juvenile delinquency -- United States -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Juvenile corrections -- United States -- Periodicals; 364.360973
• DOI: 10.1177/1541204012470850
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1541-2040

Abstract

Though ties between having psychopathic attributes and criminality are strong, only recently has the criminological community appreciated that the characteristic traits of psychopathy are emergent in youth and are variably distributed in the population. In recognition, this study evaluates the value of psychopathic callous–unemotional (CU) traits in youth alongside key criminological variables in explaining violence. Results show that CU traits remain robust among traditional criminological variables in explaining juvenile violence. Further, CU traits are observed to interact with key criminological covariates such that at higher levels of one construct, the impact of other correlates on violence is weakened.