Viding, E., Blair, R. J., Moffitt, T. E., & Plomin, R. (2005). Evidence for substantial genetic risk for psychopathy in 7-year-olds. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46(6), 592–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00393.x 

Evidence for substantial genetic risk for psychopathy in 7-year-olds

Callous-unemotional traits (CU) can be identified and measured in childhood. Typical presentations of CU in childhood are violence, lack of anxiety and guilt, animal abuse, manipulation, and superficial charm. 

Callous-unemotional Traits in Childhood

The callous-unemotional (CU) factor can be described as impulsivity, deviance, and inflated self-importance. CU factor can also be described as a lack of concern for others’ feelings, disregard for responsibilities, insincerity, lacking guilt, lying, and shallow behavior. 

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Affective traits include callousness, lacking empathy and guilt, shallow emotions, and lacking responsibility for their actions. 

Examples of Affective Traits

Child psychopathy is difficult to define concretely; however, research shows there are two factors important in recognizing psychopathic tendencies in children:
- conduct problems (CP) and impulsivity
- callous-unemotional factor (CU)

Factors of Child Psychopathy

- Noncompliance/ defiant behavior 
- Antisocial/ delinquent behavior (age dependent)
- Agressive
- Argumentative/ irritable
- Callous-unemotional traits
- Externalizing and/or internalizing behavior
- Attentional difficulties
- Impulsivity
- Vindictiveness



General Behaviors Associated with ODD


Salekin, R. T., & Lynam, D. R. (2010). Handbook of child and adolescent psychopathy.

Handbook of child and adolescent psychopathy

Callous-Unemotional Factor

Conduct problems and impulsivity in child psychopathy were later studied as combinations of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or Conduct Disorder (CD). Studies show the combination of symptoms of ADHD, ODD/CD, and exhibiting high callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children are more likely to have psychopathic tendencies.

Conduct Problems and Impulsivity in Psychopathy

Individuals with extreme callous-unemotional traits (Psychopathy) start engaging in destructive and manipulative behaviors in childhood and continue to offend across a lifetime. 

Early Indicators of Psychopathy 

- Proactive or reactive:
- Physical
- Emotional 
- Verbal


Variations of Aggression

Noncompliance occurs when the individual displays an adverse response to a given command outside the appropriate range of time.

Operationalizing Noncompliance 

Responding to a direct request by changing one’s behavior

Compliance

Boys are more likely to dislay higher levels of oppositional behavior during normative development than girls. These gender gaps close as individuals mature. 

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