Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T16:08:38.043Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allen, J. P., Porter, M. R., McFarland, F. C., Marsh, P., & McElhaney, K. B. (2005). The two faces of adolescents’ success with peers: Adolescent popularity, social adaptation, and deviant behavior. Child Development, 76, 747–760.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andershed, H., Gustafson, S. B., Kerr, M., & Stattin, H. (2002). The usefulness of self-reported psychopathy-like traits in the study of antisocial behaviour among non-referred adolescents. European Journal of Personality, 16, 383–402. doi:10.1002/per.455 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andershed, H., Kerr, M., Stattin, H., & Levander, S. (2002). Psychopathic traits in nonreferred youths: A new assessment tool. In Blaauw, E. & Sheridan, L. (Eds.), Psychopaths: Current international perspectives (pp. 131–158). The Hague: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Burk, W., Steglich, C. E. G., & Snijders, T. A. B. (2007). Beyond dyadic interdependence: Actor-oriented models for co-evolving social networks and individual behaviors. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 31, 397–404. doi:10.1177/0165025407077762 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cillessen, A. H. N., & Mayeux, L. (2004). From censure to reinforcement: Developmental changes in the association between aggression and social status. Child Development, 75, 147–163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cleckley, H. (1976). The mask of sanity. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.Google Scholar
Cooke, D. J., & Michie, C. (2001). Refining the construct of psychopath: Towards a hierarchical model. Psychological Assessment, 13, 171–188. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.13.2.171 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Declercq, F., Markey, S., Vandist, K., & Verhaeghe, P. (2009). The youth psychopathic trait inventory: Factor structure and antisocial behaviour in non-referred 12- to 17-year-olds. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 20, 577–594. doi:10.1080/14789940802651757 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dishion, T. J., McCord, J., & Poulin, F. (1999). When interventions harm: Peer groups and problem behavior. American Psychologist, 54, 755–764. doi:10.1037//0003-066X.54.9.755 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dishion, T. J., & Patterson, G. R. (2006). The development and ecology of antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. In Cicchetti, D. & Cohen, D. J. (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology: Vol. 3. Risk, disorder, and adaptation (pp. 503–541). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.Google Scholar
Dishion, T. J., Spracklen, K. M., Andrews, D. W., & Patterson, G. R. (1996). Deviancy training in male adolescents friendships. Behavior Therapy, 27, 373–390. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(96)80023-2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donnellan, M. B., Trzesniewski, K., Robins, R. W., Moffitt, T. E., & Caspi, A. (2005). Low self-esteem is related to aggression, antisocial behavior, and delinquency. Psychological Science, 16, 328–335. doi:10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.01535.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farmer, T. W., Estell, D. B., Bishop, J. L., O'Neal, K. K., & Cairns, B. D. (2003). Rejected bullies or popular leaders? The social relations of aggressive subtypes of rural African American early adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 9, 992–1004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., & Nagin, D. S. (2000). Offending trajectories in a New Zealand birth cohort. Criminology, 38, 525–551.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frick, P. J., & White, S. F. (2008). Research review: The importance of callous–unemotional traits for developmental models of aggressive and antisocial behavior. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 359–375. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01862.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harris, G. T., Rice, M. E., & Cormier, C. A. (1991). Psychopathy and violent recidivism. Law and Human Behavior, 15, 625–637. doi:10.1007/BF01065856 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huisman, M., & Snijders, T. A. B. (2003). Statistical analysis of longitudinal network data with changing composition. Sociological Methods & Research, 32, 253–287. doi:10.1177/0049124103256096 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kandel, D. B. (1978). Homophily, selection, and socialization in adolescents friendships. American Journal of Sociology, 84, 427–436. doi:10.1086/226792 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kenny, D. A., Kashy, D. A., & Cook, W. L. (2006). Dyadic data analysis. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kerr, M., Stattin, H., & Kiesner, J. (2007). Peers and problem behavior: Have we missed something? In Engels, R., Kerr, M., & Stattin, H. (Eds.), Friends, lovers, and groups: Who is important in adolescence and why? (pp. 125–254). London: Wiley.Google Scholar
Kerr, M., Van Zalk, M. H. W., & Stattin, H. (2012). Psychopathic traits moderate peer influence on adolescent delinquency. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53, 826–835. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02492.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiesner, J., Kerr, M., & Stattin, H. (2004). “Very important persons” in adolescence: Going beyond in-school, single friendships in the study of peer homophily. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 545–560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kimonis, E. R., Frick, P. J., & Barry, C. T. (2004). Callous-unemotional traits and delinquent peer affiliation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 956–966. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.72.6.956 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mason, W. A. (2001). Self-esteem and delinquency revisited (again): A test of Kaplan's self-derogation theory of delinquency using latent growth curve modeling. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 30, 83–102. doi:10.1023/A:1005276905961 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCuish, E. C., Corrado, R., Lussier, P., & Hart, S. D. (2014). Psychopathic traits and offending trajectories from early adolescence to adulthood. Journal of Criminal Justice, 42, 66–76. doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2013.12.004 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L., & Cook, J. (2001). Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 415–444. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.415 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moffitt, T. E. (1993). Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100, 674–701.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., Dickson, N., Silva, P., & Stanton, W. (1996). Childhood-onset versus adolescent-onset antisocial conduct problems in males: Natural history from ages 3 to 18 years. Development and Psychopathology, 8, 399–424. doi:10.1017/S0954579400007161 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Munoz, L. C., Kerr, M., & Besic, N. (2008). The peer relationships of youths with psychopathic personality traits: A matter of perspective. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 212–227. doi:10.1177/0093854807310159 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patterson, G. R., Forgatch, M. S., Yoerger, K. L., & Stoolmiller, M. (1998). Variables that initiate and maintain an early-onset trajectory for juvenile offending. Development and Psychopathology, 10, 531–547. doi:10.1017/S0954579498001734 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poulin, F., Dishion, T. J., & Haas, E. (1999). The peer influence paradox: Friendship quality and deviancy training within male adolescent friendships. Merrill–Palmer Quarterly, 45, 42–61. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00157 Google Scholar
Poythress, N. G., Dembo, R., Wareham, J., & Greenbaum, P. E. (2006). Construct validity of the youth psychopathic traits inventory (YPI) and the antisocial process screening device (APSD) with justice-involved adolescents. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33, 26–55. doi:10.1177/0093854805282518 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, B. W., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. E. (2001). The kids are alright: Growth and stability in personality development from adolescence to adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 670–683. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.81.4.670 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salihovic, S., Özdemir, M., & Kerr, M. (2013). Trajectories of adolescent psychopathic traits. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. Advance online publication. doi:10.1007/s10862-013-9375-0 Google Scholar
Selfhout, M., Branje, S., & Meeus, W. (2008). The development of delinquency and perceived friendship quality in adolescent best friendship dyads. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 929–941. doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9193-5 Google Scholar
Snijders, T. A. B. (2001). The statistical evaluation of social network dynamics. Sociological Methodology, 31, 361–395. doi:10.1111/0081-1750.00099 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snijders, T. A. B., & Baerveldt, C. (2003). A multilevel network study of the effects of delinquent behavior on friendship evolution. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 27, 123–151. doi:10.1080/00222500305892 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snijders, T. A. B., Steglich, C. E. G., & Schweinberger, M. (2007). Modeling the co-evolution of networks and behavior. In Van Montfort, K., Oud, H., & Satorra, A. (Eds.), Longitudinal models in the behavioral and related sciences (pp. 41–71). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Snijders, T. A. B., Van de Bunt, G. G., & Steglich, C. E. G. (2010). Introduction to actor-based models for network dynamics. Social Networks, 32, 44–60. doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2009.02.004 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stattin, H., Kerr, M., & Bergman, L. R. (2010). On the utility of Moffitt's typology trajectories in long-term perspective. European Journal of Criminology, 7, 521–545. doi:10.1177/1477370810376573 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stattin, H., Magnusson, D., & Reichel, H. (1989). Criminal activity at different ages. A study based on a Swedish longitudinal research population. British Journal of Criminology, 29, 368–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Zalk, M. H. W., Kerr, M., Branje, S. J. T., Stattin, H., & Meeus, W. H. J. (2010). Peer contagion and adolescent depression: The role of failure anticipation. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 39, 837–848. doi:10.1080/15374416.2010.517164 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Veenstra, R., & Dijkstra, J. K. (2011). Transformations in adolescent peer networks. In Laursen, B. & Collins, W. A. (Eds.), Relationship pathways: From adolescence to young adulthood. New York: Sage.Google Scholar
Veenstra, R., Dijkstra, J. K., Steglich, C., & Van Zalk, M. H. W. (2013). Network-behavior dynamics. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 23, 399–412. doi:10.1111/jora.12070 CrossRefGoogle Scholar