Previous definitions of sexually abusive behavior in children and adolescents were deficient in failing to (1) highlight salient neuropsychological elements and antisocial behaviors that may contribute to a youth's functioning; (2) discriminate among possible types of coercion (e.g., manipulation, threats, physical force, and use of weapons); and (3) include predatory elements of sexual abuse a...

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are among the most debilitating psychiatric conditions. Behaviors and traits associated with these disorders can have profound influences on those surrounding the affected individual. Accordingly, researchers have begun to examine effects of these symptoms on parent-child relationships. Theoretical and empirical wo...

The mediators of favorable multisystemic therapy (MST) outcomes achieved at 12 months postrecruitment were examined within the context of a randomized effectiveness trial with 127 juvenile sexual offenders and their caregivers. Outcome measures assessed youth delinquency, substance use, externalizing symptoms, and deviant sexual interest/risk behaviors; hypothesized mediators included measures ...

To advance research evaluating the relationship between social information processing (Crick & Dodge) and youth aggression, this meta-analytic study examined associations between social goals and aggression in children in 21 separate research reports. Eligible studies provided descriptive or preintervention measurement of children’s aggression and social goals, and were reported in English by M...

Aggression, antisocial and delinquent behavior frequently result in the incarceration of a large number of young people, but these problems pale in comparison to the mental health challenges faced by many of these youth. Recent studies show a high prevalence of mental disorders among adolescents within the justice system. These findings have led researchers, clinicians and policy-makers to re-e...

Although relations between political violence and child adjustment are well documented, longitudinal research is needed to adequately address the many questions remaining about the contexts and developmental trajectories underlying the effects on children in areas of political violence. The study examined the relations between sectarian and nonsectarian community violence and adolescent adjustm...

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of guilt and empathy) are a risk factor associated with antisocial behavior. Youth CU can be differentiated by varying levels co-occurring anxiety. In this study, we examined variants in incarcerated adolescent females (n = 109) their associations emotional behavioral problems history maltreatment. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted subsam...

Since measures of psychopathy have been extended downward from adults to adolescents, investigators have examined the validity of “juvenile psychopathy” by assessing whether its pattern of association with other constructs (e.g., symptoms, antisocial behavior) replicates the pattern found in adults. Few of these studies have focused on potentially explanatory constructs like response modulation...