The Relation Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Psychosocial Maturity, and Delinquent Behavior Among Justice-Involved Youth

Cortney Simmons; Adam Fine; Alissa Knowles; Paul J. Frick; Laurence Steinberg; Elizabeth Cauffman

doi:10.1111/cdev.13176

The Relation Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Psychosocial Maturity, and Delinquent Behavior Among Justice-Involved Youth

Cortney Simmons, Adam Fine, Alissa Knowles, Paul J. Frick, Laurence Steinberg, Elizabeth Cauffman

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are a risk factor for severe and persistent patterns of juvenile delinquency. Given the influence of CU trait assessments in justice-system settings, it is important to determine whether the predictive utility of CU traits is conditional on the absence of protective psychosocial factors. Employing a sample of justice-involved male youth (N = 1,216, M_age = 15.29), this study examined whether psychosocial maturity (PSM) outweighs or attenuates the effect of CU traits on delinquency. Results indicated that youth with high CU traits or low PSM offended more during the year following their first arrest. Additionally, PSM moderated the relation between CU traits and offending, such that higher PSM was associated with less offending but only among low CU youth.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	e120-e133
Journal	Child development
Volume	91
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13176
State	Published - Jan 1 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Education
Developmental and Educational Psychology

Access to Document

10.1111/cdev.13176

Cite this

@article{8aaa25a911f745ad8e61247c3bd7c159,

title = "The Relation Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Psychosocial Maturity, and Delinquent Behavior Among Justice-Involved Youth",

abstract = "Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are a risk factor for severe and persistent patterns of juvenile delinquency. Given the influence of CU trait assessments in justice-system settings, it is important to determine whether the predictive utility of CU traits is conditional on the absence of protective psychosocial factors. Employing a sample of justice-involved male youth (N = 1,216, Mage = 15.29), this study examined whether psychosocial maturity (PSM) outweighs or attenuates the effect of CU traits on delinquency. Results indicated that youth with high CU traits or low PSM offended more during the year following their first arrest. Additionally, PSM moderated the relation between CU traits and offending, such that higher PSM was associated with less offending but only among low CU youth.",

author = "Cortney Simmons and Adam Fine and Alissa Knowles and Frick, {Paul J.} and Laurence Steinberg and Elizabeth Cauffman",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Society for Research in Child Development",

year = "2020",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1111/cdev.13176",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "91",

pages = "e120--e133",

journal = "Child development",

issn = "0009-3920",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Relation Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Psychosocial Maturity, and Delinquent Behavior Among Justice-Involved Youth

AU - Simmons, Cortney

AU - Fine, Adam

AU - Knowles, Alissa

AU - Frick, Paul J.

AU - Steinberg, Laurence

AU - Cauffman, Elizabeth

PY - 2020/1/1

Y1 - 2020/1/1

N2 - Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are a risk factor for severe and persistent patterns of juvenile delinquency. Given the influence of CU trait assessments in justice-system settings, it is important to determine whether the predictive utility of CU traits is conditional on the absence of protective psychosocial factors. Employing a sample of justice-involved male youth (N = 1,216, Mage = 15.29), this study examined whether psychosocial maturity (PSM) outweighs or attenuates the effect of CU traits on delinquency. Results indicated that youth with high CU traits or low PSM offended more during the year following their first arrest. Additionally, PSM moderated the relation between CU traits and offending, such that higher PSM was associated with less offending but only among low CU youth.

AB - Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are a risk factor for severe and persistent patterns of juvenile delinquency. Given the influence of CU trait assessments in justice-system settings, it is important to determine whether the predictive utility of CU traits is conditional on the absence of protective psychosocial factors. Employing a sample of justice-involved male youth (N = 1,216, Mage = 15.29), this study examined whether psychosocial maturity (PSM) outweighs or attenuates the effect of CU traits on delinquency. Results indicated that youth with high CU traits or low PSM offended more during the year following their first arrest. Additionally, PSM moderated the relation between CU traits and offending, such that higher PSM was associated with less offending but only among low CU youth.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055947265&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85055947265&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/cdev.13176

DO - 10.1111/cdev.13176

M3 - Article

C2 - 30368784

AN - SCOPUS:85055947265

SN - 0009-3920

VL - 91

SP - e120-e133

JO - Child development

JF - Child development

IS - 1

ER -

The Relation Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Psychosocial Maturity, and Delinquent Behavior Among Justice-Involved Youth

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this