Viding Essi, Simmonds Elizabeth, Petrides K V, Frederickson Norah
Department of Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2009 Apr;50(4):471-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.02012.x. Epub 2009 Jan 12.
Although a lot is known about the association of conduct problems with bullying, less attention has been paid to co-occurring traits, such as callous-unemotional (CU) traits that might additionally contribute to the risk of engaging in bullying. This study investigated the contribution of CU traits to direct and indirect bullying, alongside the contributions made by conduct problems and gender.
Seven hundred and four 11-13-year-olds completed self-report measures of callous-emotional traits and psychopathology, including conduct problems. Peer-report measures of direct and indirect bullying were collected from classmates.
Higher levels of CU traits were associated with higher levels of direct bullying, over and above the association between bullying and conduct problems. Conduct problems and CU traits interacted in the prediction of both direct and indirect bullying. In line with previous research, males were more likely to engage in direct and females in indirect bullying.
This study highlights the importance of viewing CU traits and conduct problems, not only as related phenomena, but also as distinct entities in mediating the underlying susceptibility of children to bully others directly. Furthermore, a combination of these traits appears to be a particularly potent risk factor for both direct and indirect bullying. Implications for intervention are discussed, in particular the concern that lack of empathy and insensitivity to punishment in those with CU traits may also make them particularly resistant to current forms of bullying intervention.
尽管人们对品行问题与欺凌行为之间的关联了解颇多，但对于同时出现的一些特质，如冷酷无情（CU）特质，其可能会增加参与欺凌行为的风险，却较少受到关注。本研究调查了CU特质对直接和间接欺凌行为的影响，以及品行问题和性别所产生的影响。
704名11至13岁的青少年完成了关于冷酷无情特质和精神病理学（包括品行问题）的自我报告测量。从同学那里收集了直接和间接欺凌行为的同伴报告测量数据。
除了欺凌行为与品行问题之间的关联外，较高水平的CU特质与较高水平的直接欺凌行为相关。品行问题和CU特质在直接和间接欺凌行为的预测中存在相互作用。与先前的研究一致，男性更有可能实施直接欺凌，而女性更有可能实施间接欺凌。
本研究强调，不仅要将CU特质和品行问题视为相关现象，还要将它们视为在调节儿童直接欺凌他人的潜在易感性方面的不同实体。此外，这些特质的组合似乎是直接和间接欺凌行为的一个特别有力的风险因素。文中讨论了干预措施的意义，特别是担心具有CU特质的人缺乏同理心和对惩罚不敏感，这也可能使他们对当前形式的欺凌干预具有特别的抵抗力。
