Problem Behaviors, Childhood Victimization, and Attachment Quality in Croatian Sample of Community and Referred Psychopathic-Like Adolescents

Abstract

This study compares differences between community-based psychopathic-like adolescents ( n = 78, 72% males) and referred psychopathic-like adolescents ( n = 67, 70% males) in means, variances, and covariation between problem behaviors, adverse childhood experiences, parental conflict, physical and sexual victimization, and perceived parent–adolescent attachment quality. The psychopathic-like adolescents were identified among a larger pool of 1,346 community-based adolescents and 381 adolescents referred to institutional correctional treatment. Relative to the community group, referred adolescents presented with a distinct profile exhibiting higher levels of impulsive and irresponsible behavioral style, higher rates of problem behaviors and childhood victimization, and lower perceived parent–adolescent attachment quality. However, striking similarities in variances, and, in particular, of the covariation between problem behaviors, victimization, and attachment suggest that comparable processes link familial factors to problem behavior in psychopathic-like adolescents who have avoided contact with juvenile justice system and referred psychopathic-like adolescents.