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Social skills and psychopathic traits in maltreated adolescents

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Abstract

Child maltreatment has frequently been associated with impaired social skills and antisocial features, but there are still controversies about the effect of each type of maltreatment on social behaviour. The aim of this study was to compare the social functioning and psychopathic traits of maltreated adolescents (MTA) with a control group (CG) and to investigate what types of maltreatments and social skills were associated with psychopathic traits in both groups. The types and intensity of maltreatment were evaluated through the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) in 107 adolescents, divided into the MTA group (n = 66) and non-maltreated youths (n = 41), our CG. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL: YV) and a detailed inventory for evaluation of social skills in adolescents were also applied in all individuals. MTA presented more psychopathic traits than the CG, in all domains measured by PCL: YV, independently of IQ levels and the presence of psychiatric disorders. Interestingly, the groups did not differ significantly from each other on indicators of social skills. Multiple regression analysis revealed that emotional neglect was the only maltreatment subtype significantly associated with psychopathic traits, more specifically with the PCL: YV interpersonal factor (F1), and that some social skills (empathy, self-control and social confidence) were related to specific psychopathic factors. The results highlight that emotional neglect may be more detrimental to social behaviours than physical and sexual abuse, and that neglected children require more specific and careful attention.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all LIM-21 and Equilibrium Program’s staff and participants. This study was funded by FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) Grants numbers 2010/15604-0 (Dr. Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha), 2010/15786-1 (Dr. Geraldo F. Busatto) and 2010/18374-6, 2011/19185-5 (Dra. Sandra Scivoletto). We also thank São Paulo Municipality for the support to the Equilibrium Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Equilibrium Program, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, Rua Ovidio Pires de Campos, São Paulo, SP, 05403-010, Brazil

    Mariella Ometto, Paula Approbato de Oliveira, Sandra Scivoletto & Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha

  2. Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Mariella Ometto, Ana Luiza Milioni, Geraldo F. Busatto & Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha

  3. Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Mariella Ometto, Geraldo F. Busatto & Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha

  4. Nursing School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Bernardo dos Santos

  5. Interdisciplinary Group of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (GREA), Institute of Psychiatry (IPq), School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha

  6. Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Paula V. Nunes

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  1. Mariella Ometto
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  2. Paula Approbato de Oliveira
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Ometto, M., de Oliveira, P.A., Milioni, A.L. et al. Social skills and psychopathic traits in maltreated adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 25, 397–405 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0744-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0744-y

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