Delinquency in Emerging Adult Females: The Importance of Callous-Unemotionality and Impulsivity

Abstract

Delinquent behavior has consistently been shown to be related to adverse outcomes later in life, ranging from educational difficulties to mental health problems and even premature mortality. Although previous studies have found social, family, and personality factors all contribute to delinquency, the majority of these studies have focused on either male or clinical samples. The current study goes beyond past research by examining how the subscales of callous-unemotional traits and impulsivity relate to emerging adult delinquency in females (N = 155) in a non-clinical population. Undergraduate student participants completed self-report measures of delinquency, impulsivity, and callous-unemotional traits as part of a larger test battery. As expected, general callous-unemotionality and impulsivity were positively correlated with delinquency; however, follow-up analyses revealed that only Callousness and Motor Impulsiveness subscales were significantly correlated with delinquency. All remaining subscale correlations were nonsignificant. A post-hoc backward stepwise regression analysis supported the correlational results, as Callousness and Motor Impulsiveness were the only significant predictors of delinquency. Limitations of the current study and future areas of research are also discussed.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study was part of the first author’s Master’s thesis.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrew C. White

ANDREW C. WHITE, M.A., is a Ph.D. student studying Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Minnesota. His research interests include the psychology of injury and positive youth development through sport and physical activity.

Carlin J. Miller

CARLIN J. MILLER, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Windsor (Canada). Her research interests include mindfulness-based interventions for impulse control disorders in children and adolescents, as well as the longitudinal course of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Dr. Miller was Mr. White’s research mentor while he completed his M.A. in Clinical Psychology (Neuropsychology) at the University of Windsor.