Child maltreatment and risk behaviors: The roles of callous/unemotional traits and conscientiousness |
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| Institution: | 1. IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone (Pisa), Italy;2. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA;3. Department of Sciences of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Italy;4. Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division, Second University of Naples, Italy;1. Unitat d''Epidemiologia i de Diagnòstic en Psicopatologia del Desenvolupament, Spain;2. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Spain;3. Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Spain;4. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain |
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| Abstract: | Child maltreatment poses significant risk to the development of callous/unemotional traits as well as risk behaviors such as engaging in violence, having sex with strangers, and binge drinking. In the current study, the indirect pathway from child maltreatment to risk behaviors was examined via callous/unemotional traits; whereas the conscientious personality trait was tested as a moderator of this indirect pathway. Young adults and parents (N = 361; Mage = 19.14, SD = 1.44) completed questionnaires on child maltreatment histories, callousness/unemotional traits, personality characteristics, and risk behaviors. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized direct, indirect and conditional indirect effects. Findings showed indirect links between the child maltreatment latent factor and physical fighting, having sex with strangers, and binge drinking via callous/unemotional traits. Furthermore, the conscientiousness personality type significantly buffered the connection between callous/unemotional traits and physical fighting, supporting a conditional indirect effects. Callous/unemotional traits are important factors in the underlying mechanism between child maltreatment and risk behaviors among young adults, and conscientiousness serves as a protective factor against violence. Preventive intervention programs and clinicians may benefit from focusing in addressing callous/unemotional traits among youth who report childhood maltreatment experiences as well as targeting conscientiousness as a protective factor. |
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| Keywords: | Child abuse Callous/unemotional traits Risk behaviors Substance abuse Sexual risk taking Violence Emerging adulthood |
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