Early Experience of Abuse and the Development of Psychopathic Traits in Adolescence

• In Event: Biosocial and Psychological Research on Psychopathy

Abstract

Psychopathic individuals represent a significant challenge to the criminal justice system as they are responsible for many serious crimes and appear to be resistant to treatment. There is emerging evidence that there may be distinct subtypes of psychopathy marked by the presence or absence of anxiety, which may be a marker for a distinct etiology amongst secondary, anxious, psychopaths involving a history of abuse and harsh parenting. However, evidence for different etiologies is mixed, with more evidence in forensic samples than in community samples. Further, research in this area is hampered by a shortage of high quality measurements of abuse and the parent-child relationship and a lack of longitudinal studies. Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits can be used to characterize children and adolescents with behavioural features similar to adult psychopaths. The current study explored differences in CU subtypes in concurrent delinquency, psychiatric morbidity and parenting and attachment relationships in 310 adolescents drawn from four samples ranging in levels of risk. Further follow-back analyses were conducted on a sub-sample of 198 adolescents to investigate potential differences in etiology using data collected in middle childhood, including measures of abuse and neglect. Limitations and implications for treatment and management of psychopathic individuals will be discussed.

Authors

• Sajid Humayun, University of Greenwich

• Essi Viding, University College London

• Vanessa Cheng, University of Cambridge

• Jackie Briskman, King's College London

• Stephen Scott, King's College London