Abstract
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and male gender are both known risk factors for poor academic outcomes in children and adolescents. However, despite gender differences in CU trait severity, comorbid difficulties and correlates of CU traits, research has yet to examine whether the CU traits and male gender may work together to increase risk for poor academic performance. That is, whether boys high in CU traits perform more poorly across academic disciplines than girls high in these traits. This study therefore aimed to investigate i) the relationships between CU traits, student gender and English, Science and Math grades, and ii) whether gender moderates the association between CU traits and academic outcomes. Participants were 437 children aged 11 to 14 years (mean age 12.50 years; 49% girls; 85% White) attending a state secondary school in England. Students reported on CU traits and externalizing problems and their English, Math and Science grades were gathered from school records. Using hierarchical linear modelling, CU traits were found to be significantly related to lower English, Math and Science grades when controlling for age, gender, sociodemographic disadvantage and externalizing problems. CU traits were significantly related to lower Science grades for boys but not girls. However, gender did not moderate the association between CU traits for English or Math grades. Findings enhance our understanding of how child characteristics may interact to increase the likelihood of poor school outcomes, and therefore help us to identify youth at-risk for poor academic performance.
Highlights
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and male gender are both known risk factors for poor academic outcomes in children and adolescents
Children high in CU traits have more positive expectations about the outcomes of aggression and less concern for its consequences including anticipated feelings of remorse, disciplinary action, or victim distress (Pardini and Byrd 2012). The presence of these unique correlates and poor prognostic indicators have led to the inclusion of CU traits as a specifier for Conduct Disorder in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, hereafter APA, 2013), under the term limited prosocial emotions (LPE)
This study aims to investigate the relationship between CU traits, gender and school grades in pupils attending a state secondary school in England
Summary
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and male gender are both known risk factors for poor academic outcomes in children and adolescents. CU traits comprising low empathy, lack of guilt, restricted affect and low concern for performance are considered to be the core feature of psychopathy in children (Frick et al 2014) These traits are related to earlyonset conduct problems and more varied, severe and chronic antisocial behaviour (Obradović et al 2007; Salekin 2008). Children high in CU traits have more positive expectations about the outcomes of aggression and less concern for its consequences including anticipated feelings of remorse, disciplinary action, or victim distress (Pardini and Byrd 2012) The presence of these unique correlates and poor prognostic indicators have led to the inclusion of CU traits as a specifier for Conduct Disorder in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, hereafter APA, 2013), under the term limited prosocial emotions (LPE). Investigating the relationship between CU traits and academic outcomes may assist in identifying children at risk for poor academic performance and help schools to direct resources towards students most in need of support
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