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Causes of severe conduct problems in children with CU traits

The causes of psychopathy have to be explained through a gen-environment interaction (biosocial).This interaction results in unique individual patterns of cognitive information processing and expression of behaviour (psychological).

Recent research show that CU traits are a prime risk factor associated with aggression and criminal behaviour (Stickle, Kirkpatrick & Brush, 2009). It appears that unique causal factors underly the conduct problems found in children with CU traits.

Therefore, to consider the causes of severe conduct problems that can lead to crime in children with CU traits, a biopsychosocial approach must be taken. Accordingly, studies in the areas of developmental psychology, heritability and genes, brain structure and activity and environmental factors have been reviewed.

Developmental Psychology

In the last years a model of developmental vulnerability to psychopathy is evolving. The last technology in brain imaging as well as genetic twin studies have facilitated the investigation of correlations between deviant behaviour, genetic differences and dysfunctional brain (Viding, 2012). As discussed previously, a subgroup of children with early onset antisocial behaviour and the presence of CU traits, specify a subset of children with a more severe, aggressive and stable pattern of antisocial behaviour. These children show a specific neurocognitive profile that denote defects in affect processing and that could be precursory markers of adult psychopathy (Viding, Jones, Frick & Moffitt, 2008)

Empirical research have revealed that children with CU traits process information, specifically emotional information, differently. For instance, experiments ...

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...nmental risk factors are mostly insignificant among a large sample of individuals rating high in psychopathy measures. Moreover, the study by Beaver et al.(2011), shows that parental socialization measures, except maternal disengagement, had inconsistent and low effects on psychopathic personality traits.

The work by Lang, Klinteberg and Alm (2002), conclude that children with CU traits could be more vulnerable than other children for developing antisocial and criminal behaviour when in an abusive or neglective environment but that childhood abuse is not leading per se to violent offending in children with CU traits. In the same line, a study by Sadeh et al. ( 2010) suggest that a dysfunction in the serotonine transporter gene, may result in a vulnerability to develop psychopathy and violent behaviour among youths expose to disadvantaged environments.