Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Self-Reported Psychopathic Traits in Children: Their Stability and Concurrent and Prospective Association with Conduct Problems and Aggression

  • Published:
Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The current study investigated the 18-month stability of self-reported psychopathic traits measured through the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory–Child Version (YPI-CV) and their concurrent and prospective associations with conduct problems and aggression in a sample of 9–12 year olds (n = 159, 52% boys) from the community. Self-reported psychopathy scores were moderately to highly stable and traits were positively related to conduct problems both concurrently and at follow-up, the latter even after controlling for initial levels of conduct problems. Higher self-reported psychopathic traits were also related to higher reactive, but particularly proactive aggression at follow-up. Finally, children with persistently high levels of psychopathic traits exhibited higher levels of conduct problems and proactive aggression at follow-up than those with unstable or stable low psychopathic traits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andershed, H. (2010). Stability of psychopathy: A review of the evidence and suggestions of ways forward. In D. Lynam & R. T. Salekin (Eds.), Handbook of child and adolescent psychopathy (pp. 233–250). New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andershed, H., Kerr, M., Stattin, H., & Levander, S. (2002). Psychopathic traits in non-referred youths: Initial test of a new assessment tool. In E. S. Blaauw (Ed.), Psychopaths: Current international perspectives (pp. 131–158). The Hague: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • APA. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV). Washington: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barry, T. D., Barry, C. T., Deming, A., & Lochman, J. E. (2008). Stability of psychopathic characteristics in childhood: the influence of social relationships. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 244–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, R. J. R., Peschardt, K. S., Budhani, S., Mitchell, D. G., & Pine, D. S. (2006). The development of psychopathy. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 262–276.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blonigen, D. M., Hicks, B. M., Krueger, R. F., Patrick, C. J., & Iacono, W. G. (2006). Continuity and change in psychopathic traits as measured via normal-range personality: a longitudinal-biometric study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 85–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bijttebier, P., & Decoene, S. (2009). Assessment of psychopathic traits in children and adolescents: further validation of the antisocial process screening device and the childhood psychopathy scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 25, 157–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, B. (1982). An index of empathy for children and adolescents. Child Development, 53, 413–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, J. D., Loeber, R., & Lahey, B. B. (2007). Adolescent conduct disorder and interpersonal callousness as predictors of psychopathy in young adults. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 334–346.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, M. A., Porter, S., & Santor, D. (2004). Psychopathic traits in adolescent offenders: an evaluation of criminal history, clinical, and psychosocial correlates. Behavioral. Science and the Law, 22, 23–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christian, R. E., Frick, P. J., Hill, N. L., & Tyler, L. (1997). Psychopathy and conduct problems in children: implications for subtyping children with conduct problems. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychology, 36, 233–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cima-Knijff, M. J., & Raine, A. (2009). Distinct characteristics of psychopathy relate to different subtypes of aggression. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 835–840.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, D. J., & Michie, C. (2001). Refining the construct of psychopathy: towards a hierarchical model. Psychological Assessment, 13, 171–188.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cornell, D. G., Warren, J., Hawk, G., Stafford, E., Oram, G., & Pine, D. (1996). Psychopathy in instrumental and reactive violent offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 783–790.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dadds, M. R., Fraser, J., Frost, A., & Hawes, D. J. (2005). Disentangling the underlying dimensions of psychopathy and conduct problems in childhood: a community study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 400–410.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Das, J., de Ruiter, C., Lodewijks, H., & Doreleijers, T. (2007). Predictive validity of the Dutch PCL:YV for institutional disruptive behavior: findings from two samples of male adolescents in a juvenile justice treatment institution. Behavioral Science and the Law, 25, 739–755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dolan, M. (2004). Psychopathic personality in young people. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 10, 466–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas, K. S., Vincent, G., & Edens, J. F. (2006). Risk for criminal recidivism: The role of psychopathy. In C. J. Patrick (Ed.), The handbook of psychopathy (pp. 533–554). New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edens, J. F., Skeem, J. L., Cruise, K. R., & Cauffman, E. (2001). Assessment of “juvenile psychopathy” and its association with violence: a critical review. Behavioral Science and the Law, 19, 53–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erasmus MC. (2000). Problem behavior at school interview. Rotterdam: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farrington, D. P. (2005). The importance of child and adolescent psychopathy. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 489–497.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, T. J., Stegge, H., Eyre, H. L., Vollmer, R., & Ashbaker, M. (2000). Context effects and the (mal)adaptive nature of guilt and shame in children. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 126, 319–345.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Flight, J. I., & Forth, A. E. (2007). Instrumentally violent youths: the roles of psychopathic traits, empathy and attachment. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34, 739–751.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forsman, M., Lichtenstein, P., Andershed, H., & Larsson, H. (2008). Genetic effects explain the stability of psychopathic personality from mid- to late adolescence. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 117, 606–617.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., & Hare, R. D. (2001). The antisocial process screening device. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., & White, S. F. (2008). Research review: the importance of callous-unemotional traits for developmental models of aggressive and antisocial behavior. The Journal of Child Psychology Psychiatry, 49, 359–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., O’Brien, B. S., Wootton, J. M., & McBurnett, K. (1994). Psychopathy and conduct problems in children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 700–707.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Bodin, S. D., & Barry, C. T. (2000). Psychopathic traits and conduct problems in community and clinic-referred samples of children: further development of the psychopathy screening device. Psychological Assessment, 12, 382–393.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Cornell, A. H., Barry, C. T., Bodin, S. D., & Dane, H. E. (2003a). Callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems in the prediction of conduct problem severity, aggression, and self-report of delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 457–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Kimonis, E. R., Dandreaux, D. M., & Farell, J. M. (2003b). The 4 year stability of psychopathic traits in non-referred youth. Behavioral Science and the Law, 21, 713–736.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Stickle, T. R., Dandreaux, D. M., Farrell, J. M., & Kimonis, E. R. (2005). Callous-unemotional traits in predicting the severity and stability of conduct problems and delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 471–487.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: a research note. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581–586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (2003). The psychopathy checklist-revised (2nd ed.). Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawes, D. J., & Dadds, M. R. (2007). Stability and malleability of callous-unemotional traits during treatment for childhood conduct problems. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35, 347–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnstone, L., & Cooke, D. J. (2004). Psychopathic-like traits in childhood: conceptual and measurement concerns. Behavioral Science and the Law, 22, 103–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiehl, K. A. (2006). A cognitive neuroscience perspective on psychopathy: evidence for paralimbic system dysfunction. Psychiatry Research, 142, 107–128.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kimonis, E. R., Frick, P. J., Fazekas, H., & Loney, B. R. (2006). Psychopathy, aggression, and the processing of emotional stimuli in non-referred girls and boys. Behavioral Science and the Law, 24, 21–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kosson, D. S., Smith, S. S., & Newman, J. P. (1990). Evaluating the construct validity of psychopathy in black and white male inmates: three preliminary studies. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99, 250–259.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kotler, J. S., & McMahon, R. J. (2010). The assessment of child and adolescent psychopathy. In D. Lynam & R. T. Salekin (Eds.), Handbook of child and adolescent psychopathy (pp. 79–109). New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leistico, A. M., Salekin, R. T., DeCoster, J., & Rogers, R. (2008). A large-scale meta-analysis relating the Hare measures of psychopathy to antisocial conduct. Law and Human Behavior, 32, 28–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R. (1997). Pursuing the psychopath: capturing the fledgling psychopath in a nomological net. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 425–438.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R., & Gudonis, L. (2005). The development of psychopathy. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 381–407.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R., Charnigo, R., Moffitt, T. E., Raine, A., Loeber, R., & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (2009). The stability of psychopathy across adolescence. Developmental Psychopathology, 21, 1133–1153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsee, M. A., Silverthorn, P., & Frick, P. J. (2005). The association of psychopathic traits with aggression and delinquency in non-referred boys and girls. Behavioral Science and the Law, 23, 803–817.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moran, P., Ford, T., Butler, G., & Goodman, R. (2008). Callous and unemotional traits in children and adolescents living in Great Britain. British Journal of Psychiatry, 192, 65–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz, L. C., & Frick, P. J. (2007). The reliability, stability, and predictive utility of the self-report version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 48, 299–312.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muris, P., Meesters, C., Eijkelenboom, A., & Vincken, M. (2004). The self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: its psychometric properties in 8- to 13-year-old non-clinical children. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43, 437–448.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Obradovic, J., Pardini, D. A., Long, J. D., & Loeber, R. (2007). Measuring interpersonal callousness in boys from childhood to adolescence: an examination of longitudinal invariance and temporal stability. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 276–292.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pardini, D. A., & Loeber, R. (2008). Interpersonal callousness trajectories across adolescence: early social influences and adult outcomes. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 173–196.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pardini, D. A., Lochman, J. E., & Powell, N. (2007). The development of callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior in children: are there shared and/or unique predictors? Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 319–333.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Piatigorsky, A., & Hinshaw, S. P. (2004). Psychopathic traits in boys with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: concurrent and longitudinal correlates. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32, 535–550.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, S., & Woodworth, M. (2006). Psychopathy and aggression. In C. J. Patrick (Ed.), The handbook of psychopathy (pp. 481–494). New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Dodge, K., Loeber, R., Gatzke-Kopp, L. M., Lynam, D., Reynolds, C., et al. (2006). The Reactive-Proactive Aggression (RPQ) Questionnaire: differential correlates of reactive and proactive aggression in adolescent boys. Aggressive Behavior, 32, 159–171.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salekin, R. T. (2006). Psychopathy in children and adolescents: Key issues in conceptualization and assesment. In C. J. Patrick (Ed.), The handbook of psychopathy (pp. 389–414). New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seagrave, D., & Grisso, T. (2002). Adolescent development and the measurement of juvenile psychopathy. Law and Human Behavior, 26, 219–239.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thomaes, S., Stegge, H., Olthof, T., & Bushman, B. J. (2008). Development and validation of the Childhood Narcissism Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 90, 382–391.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Baardewijk, Y., Stegge, H., Andershed, H., Thomaes, S., Scholte, E., & Vermeiren, R. (2008). Measuring psychopathic traits in children through self-report. The development of the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory—Child Version. The International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 31, 199–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wareham, J., Dembo, R., Poythress, N. G., Childs, K., & Schmeidler, J. (2009). A latent class factor approach to identifying subtypes of juvenile diversion youths based on psychopathic features. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 27, 71–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waschbusch, D. A., & Willoughby, M. T. (2008). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and callous-unemotional traits as moderators of conduct problems when examining impairment and aggression in elementary school children. Aggressive Behavior, 34, 139–153.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, B., Harris, V., & Catron, T. (2002). Development and initial validation of the peer-report measure of internalizing and externalizing behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 285–294.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forensisch Centrum Teylingereind, Sassenheim, The Netherlands

    Yoast van Baardewijk

  2. PO Box 36254, 1020 MG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Yoast van Baardewijk

  3. Curium-Leiden University Medical Center, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands

    Robert Vermeiren

  4. Department of Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Robert Vermeiren & Theo Doreleijers

  5. Department of Developmental Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Hedy Stegge

Authors
  1. Yoast van Baardewijk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert Vermeiren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hedy Stegge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Theo Doreleijers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoast van Baardewijk.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Baardewijk, Y., Vermeiren, R., Stegge, H. et al. Self-Reported Psychopathic Traits in Children: Their Stability and Concurrent and Prospective Association with Conduct Problems and Aggression. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 33, 236–245 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-010-9215-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-010-9215-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation