Interaction of Psychopathic Traits Dimensions in the Prediction of Psychological and Physical Child-to-Parent Violence in Adolescents

Abstract

This study examined the longitudinal relationships between three psychopathic trait dimensions (callous-unemotional, CU; grandiose-manipulative, GM; and impulsive-irresponsible, II) and their interaction in the prediction of psychological and physical child-to-parent violence (CPV). Furthermore, the study examined whether the predictive relationships were different for boys and girls. A total of 765 adolescents (463 girls), with a mean age of 15.28 years (SD = 1.04), completed measures of the psychopathic trait dimensions (CU, GM, and II) and psychological and physical CPV at the beginning of the study and six months later. At the cross-sectional level, all the psychopathic trait dimensions were related to psychological and physical CPV, although the effect sizes were small. At the longitudinal level, II predicted increased psychological CPV. A significant three-way interaction between the three psychopathic trait dimensions (CU, GM, and II) indicated that the longitudinal association between II and physical CPV was higher for adolescents with high CU and low GM. However, the predictive model did not differ for boys and girls.

Interaction of Parental Discipline Strategies and Adolescents’ Personality Traits in the Prediction of Child-to-Parent Violence

“…Regarding the relationship between adolescents' personality traits and CPV, the lack of a significant direct predictive association in the longitudinal model between psychopathic traits and CPV differs from the only previous study examining these variables (Del Hoyo-Bilbao et al, 2022), as well as from other studies exploring similar characteristics as impulsiveness (Rico et al, 2017) and grandiosity (Orue et al, 2021). A possible explanation might come from the tripleinteraction theory of psychopathic traits, which states that these characteristics might not be as powerful in predicting aggressive behaviors by themselves as their interaction (Del Hoyo-Bilbao et al, 2022;Somma et al, 2018). Within the three-factor distinction of psychopathic traits, this theory states that none of the features (cognitive, emotional, or behavioral factors) are related to aggressive or violent behavior but only if the three appear together.…”

“…This study, thus, examined the predictive role of adolescents' personality variables (namely, psychopathic and borderline personality traits) and inadequate parental discipline (namely, psychological aggression, corporal punishment, and ignoring misbehavior), as well as their interactions in CPV development both when perpetrated toward fathers (CFV) or mothers (CMV). We hypothesized that all inadequate parental discipline strategies (Pagani et al, 2004(Pagani et al, , 2009 and adolescents' personality traitspsychopathic and borderline - (Banny et al, 2014;Del Hoyo-Bilbao et al, 2022) will predict both CFV and CMV. Moreover, we expected to find significant interactions between inadequate parental discipline strategies and adolescents' personality traits in CPV prediction.…”

“…In particular, there is evidence of a predictive association of psychopathic traits with cyberbullying (López-Larrañaga & Orue, 2019) and antisocial behavior (Penney & Moretti, 2007). However, in the case of CPV, there is only one previous study whose findings suggest a predictive role of psychopathic traits in CPV (Del Hoyo-Bilbao et al, 2022).…”

Stability of self-reported psychopathic traits in at-risk adolescents in youth welfare and juvenile justice institutions

“…This is in line with other studies [ 40 ]. This connection might warrant further attention as other studies linked elevated externalizing problems like (especially psychological) child-to-parent violence to high levels of II traits [ 41 ]. Overall we could confirm the reported association of impulsive-irresponsible facet with elevations disinhibitory externalizing symptomatology [ 39 ].…”

Emotional Loneliness, Suicidal Ideation, and Alexithymia in Adolescents Who Commit Child-to-Parent Violence

“…In this sense, there are few works providing data about the relationship between internalizing variables and CPV. Despite this lack of information, in previous research, some dimensions of the emotional sphere have been associated with CPV: depressive symptomatology (Calvete et al (2013b); Ibabe et al, 2014); alexithymia (Martínez-Ferrer et al, 2018); low empathy (Castañeda et al, 2017; Ibabe & Jaureguizar, 2011); psychological distress (Kennedy et al, 2010; Suárez-Relinque et al, 2020); emotional insecurity (Junco-Guerrero et al, 2022); suicidal ideation and suicide attempts (Beckmann et al, 2021; Kennedy et al, 2010); attentional and motor impulsivity (Del Hoyo-Bilbao et al, 2022); and low self-esteem (Ibabe & Jaureguizar, 2011; Loinaz et al, 2017).…”