Callous-unemotional traits and peer relationship characteristics among aggressive children over the transition to middle school

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate, among an aggressive sample of youth, how CU traits are related to children's regard from peers and peer reputations of victimization and leadership. Children between the ages of 9 and 12 (N = 231) completed a sociometric survey as well as self-reporting on delinquency. Teacher reports of CU traits were also collected. As hypothesized, higher levels of CU traits predicted membership in the low trajectory group relative to the high trajectory group for peer nominations of being liked the most. Additionally, results indicated that higher levels of CU traits predicted membership in the high trajectory group relative to the low trajectory group for peer nominations of being liked the least above and beyond aggressive behavior. No support was found for the hypothesis that CU traits predict membership in the high trajectory group for peer nominations of victimization nor for the hypothesis that it predicts membership in the high trajectory group for peer nominations of leadership. Results are discussed in terms of their contribution to characterizing youth with CU traits as well as how these youth interact with their peers.