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Neighborhood income and the expression of callous–unemotional traits

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Abstract

Callous–unemotional (CU) traits, including an uncaring nature and reduced empathy, represent a strongly heritable pattern of socio-emotional responding linked with elevated risk for severe, persistent delinquent behavior. Although evidence suggests that CU traits vary continuously across the population, research linking CU traits and delinquency is often conducted with incarcerated or clinical samples, obscuring potential heterogeneity in this relationship across the full range of high-CU individuals. Using a nationally representative sample, this study examines the role of neighborhood income in moderating the association between CU traits and delinquency in terms of both level and type of offending. Findings corroborate the link between CU traits and delinquency and suggest that the link between high-CU traits and violent delinquency may be unique to youth living in low-income neighborhoods.

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Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Washington, DC, WA, USA

    Anna Justine Markowitz, Rebecca M. Ryan & Abigail A. Marsh

Authors
  1. Anna Justine Markowitz
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  2. Rebecca M. Ryan
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  3. Abigail A. Marsh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna Justine Markowitz.

Appendices

Appendix A

See Table 3.

Table 3 Factor analysis for dichotomous and continuous versions of the psychopathy scale
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Appendix B

See Table 4.

Table 4 Callous–unemotional traits scale items and inventory of callous–unemotional trait analogs
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Appendix C

See Table 5.

Table 5 Delinquency items
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Appendix D: Supplementary analyses

See Tables 6, 7 and 8.

Table 6 Linear regression models predicting total, instrumental, and violent delinquency in an urban subsample
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Table 7 Linear regression models predicting total, instrumental, and violent delinquency using wave three data
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Table 8 Linear regression models predicting total, instrumental, and violent delinquency controlling for earlier delinquency
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Markowitz, A.J., Ryan, R.M. & Marsh, A.A. Neighborhood income and the expression of callous–unemotional traits. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 24, 1103–1118 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0663-3

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