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Violent peer influence: The roles of self-esteem and psychopathic traits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2015

Maarten Herman Walter Van Zalk  and
Nejra Van Zalk
Maarten Herman Walter Van Zalk*
Affiliation:
Munster University Utrecht University
Nejra Van Zalk
Affiliation:
Munster University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Maarten Van Zalk, Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; E-mail: maartenvanzalk@gmail.com.
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Abstract

Evidence for the risks of psychopathic personality traits for adolescent antisocial behavior are well documented in the literature. Little is known, however, about who the peers of adolescents with these traits are and to what extent they influence one another. In the current study, three dimensions of psychopathic traits were distinguished: grandiose–manipulative traits, callous–unemotional traits, and impulsive–irresponsible traits. A dynamic social network approach was used with three waves of longitudinal data from 1,772 adolescents (51.1% girls, M age = 13.03 at first measurement). Results showed that adolescents with grandiose–manipulative and callous–unemotional traits formed peer relationships with adolescents who had low self-esteem. Furthermore, peers' violence predicted stronger increases in violence for adolescents with low self-esteem than for other adolescents, and peers' violence predicted stronger increases in adolescent violence for peers with high psychopathic traits than for other peers. Thus, findings indicate that adolescents with low self-esteem are vulnerable to deviant peer influence from peers with psychopathic traits.

Type
Special Section Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 27 , Issue 4pt1 , November 2015 , pp. 1077 - 1088
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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