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The Peer Relationships of Youths With Psychopathic Personality Traits

A Matter of Perspective

Örebro University, LMunoz{at}uclan.ac.uk

Margaret Kerr

Örebro University

Nejra Besic

Örebro University

Because a callous use of others in many short-term relationships is one criterion for diagnosing psychopathy in adults, one would expect adolescents who are high on psychopathic personality traits to have unstable, conflict-ridden peer relationships. Little is known about this, however, or about the peer activities of youths who are high in psychopathic traits. The authors examined relationship quality and delinquency with peers in a community sample of 12- to 15-year-old adolescents who were stably high or stably low on psychopathic traits during 4 years. Peers also provided data on relationship quality. Youths high on psychopathic traits often engaged in antisocial activities with their peers. Although they reported conflict in their peer relationships, their peers did not report low support or high conflict in those relationships. The authors conclude that youths with psychopathic traits have biased perspectives on interactions with close peers, and this might underlie future problems.

Key Words: personality • psychopathic traits • peer relationships • adolescence • peer delinquency

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