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“A timely and seminal piece of work that will interest both experts and novices to the field alike. The editors are respected and well published in their related fields of antisocial behavior and psychopathy....The international representation among individual chapter authors and within the reviewed data adds to the breadth of data presented. Another salient feature of this book is its successful blend of comprehensiveness with ease of reading. This book succinctly covers highly complex and up-to-date literature, and Salekin and Lynam have edited it in a way that avoids losing the reader in an abyss of technical jargon. Suggestions for future research directions are detailed throughout the text, with the clear intention of inspiring researchers to pursue neglected and emerging areas of research on youth psychopathy. Salekin and Lynam have edited a book that is based on sound empirical findings and theoretical understandings of youth psychopathy with the purpose of advancing the field—rather than presenting idealistic and pretentious ideas masked in scientific rhetoric. The book is also well balanced by addressing key issues from multiple theoretical perspectives (i.e., genetic, developmental, environmental) and dominant conceptualizations of psychopathy....Salekin and Lynam ensure that gender and ethnicity-focused research is addressed whenever possible....An excellent summary of the latest science and practice related to youth psychopathy. It elegantly provides a comprehensive overview of key conceptual, etiological, assessment, and applied issues to further scientific understanding of psychopathy in children and adolescents....Each chapter presents its own well-articulated summary of the existing literature on youth psychopathy....An important resource for academics, researchers, practitioners, and students of all levels and is a highly recommended resource.”

—Criminal Justice and Behavior


“Quite comprehensive....A great overview of youth psychopathy for professionals wanting to extend their knowledge base or graduate students wanting to learn about psychopathy in children and adolescents.”

—PsycCRITIQUES


“Thanks to improvements in assessment and research, a great deal has been learned about psychopathy in children and adolescents. This first-rate handbook provides the latest answers to such questions as whether the disorder definitively exists in youth, and whether (and how) it is treatable. Well informed and well written, this is a valuable resource for the full range of trainees and professionals working with youth with disruptive behavior disorders.”

—Philip C. Kendall, PhD, ABPP, Distinguished University Professor and Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology, Temple University


“Salekin and Lynam score big with this handbook. Although psychopathy in children and adolescents remains a controversial topic, this volume lays out the theoretical and empirical foundations for its development and expression. The book addresses classification and assessment, the disorder's complex etiology and course, its unfortunate cost to society, and emerging but highly promising treatments. Advancing a developmental psychopathology framework, this is a splendid work whose time has come.”

—Thomas H. Ollendick, PhD, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Director, Child Study Center, Virginia Tech


“A superb volume with chapters from the leading experts on childhood and adolescent psychopathy. Without question, this book is now the authoritative reference on the topic, and is likely to be consulted by researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students for years to come. Extremely impressive in its scholarship and scope of coverage, and highly recommended.”

—Scott O. Lilienfeld, PhD, Department of Psychology, Emory University


“This innovative work presents the very latest and best science on the highly controversial issue of a psychopathic syndrome in children. It is a unique source of evidence-based insights into how psychopathic behavior affects children's development, what causes it, how to assess it, and how to effectively treat it. This is a 'must read' for researchers, clinicians, and advanced students in criminology, clinical psychology, and child psychiatry. No other book treats this challenging topic with such authority and sensitivity.”

—Terrie E. Moffitt, PhD, Knut Schmidt Nielsen Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University


“The scientific and applied foundations of 'psychopathy' in children and adolescents have been vigorously debated. The Salekin and Lynam volume is a very welcome addition to this discussion. Developmentally sensitive, empirically informed, and clinically relevant, this book will be of great interest to researchers, clinicians, legal professionals, and policymakers concerned with antisocial behavior in youth.”

—Kirk Heilbrun, PhD, Professor and Head, Department of Psychology, Drexel University

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Table of Contents

1. Child and Adolescent Psychopathy: An Introduction, Randall T. Salekin and Donald R. Lynam

I. Classification and Assessment

2. Conceptualizing the Psychopathic Personality: Disinhibited, Bold,…or Just Plain Mean?, Christopher J. Patrick

3. Historical Conceptions of Risk Subtyping among Children and Adolescents, John E. Lochman, Nicole P. Powell, Caroline Boxmeyer, Laura Young, and Rachel Baden

4. Assessment of Child and Adolescent Psychopathy, Julie S. Kotler and Robert J. McMahon

II. Etiological Theories

5. Genetics of Child and Adolescent Psychopathy, Essi Viding and Henrik Larsson

6. Callous–Unemotional Traits and Their Importance to Causal Models of Severe Antisocial Behavior in Youth, Stuart F. White and Paul J. Frick

7. A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective on Child and Adolescent Psychopathy, R. James R. Blair

8. Child and Adolescent Psychopathy and Personality, Donald R. Lynam

9. Environmental Influences on Child and Adolescent Psychopathy, David P. Farrington, Simone Ullrich, and Randall T. Salekin

III. Stability, Predictive Validity, and Comorbidity

10. Stability and Change of Psychopathic Traits: What Do We Know?, Henrik Andershed

11. Psychopathic Traits in Children and Adolescents: The Relationship with Antisocial Behaviors and Aggression, Adelle E. Forth and Angela S. Book

12. Relationships of Child and Adolescent Psychopathy to Other Forms of Psychopathology

Kathrin Sevecke and David S. Kosson

IV. Special Populations, Treatment, and Forensic Applications

13. The Influences of Gender and Culture on Adolescent and Child Psychopathy, Edelyn Verona, Naomi Sadeh, and Shabnam Javdani

14. Treatment of Child and Adolescent Psychopathy: Focusing on Change, Randall T. Salekin

15. Forensic Issues for Child and Adolescent Psychopathy, Michael J. Vitacco, Randall T. Salekin, and Richard Rogers

V. Conclusions and Future Directions

16. Child and Adolescent Psychopathy: The Road Ahead, Randall T. Salekin & Donald R. Lynam

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About the Editors

Randall T. Salekin, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Psychology, Director of the Disruptive Behavior Clinic, and Associate Director of the Center for the Prevention of Youth Behavior Problems at the University of Alabama. He has published in the areas of child and adolescent psychopathy and conduct problems. Dr. Salekin is a recipient of the American Psychology–Law Society’s Saleem Shah Award for early career excellence and contributions to the field of psychology and law. He serves on nine editorial boards, is Editor of the Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, and is Associate Editor of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology .

Donald R. Lynam, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. He has published extensively in the areas of adult and juvenile psychopathy, the development of antisocial behavior, and the role of individual differences in deviance. Dr. Lynam is a recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology and is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. He formerly served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology and Psychological Science .

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Contributors

Henrik Andershed, PhD, School of Law, Psychology, and Social Work, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden

Rachel Baden, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

R. James R. Blair, PhD, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Angela S. Book, PhD, Psychology Department, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Caroline Boxmeyer, PhD, Center for the Prevention of Youth Problems, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

David P. Farrington, PhD, Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Adelle E. Forth, PhD, Department of Psychology and Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Paul J. Frick, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana

Shabnam Javdani, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois

David S. Kosson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago, Illinois

Julie S. Kotler, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Henrik Larsson, PhD, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

John E. Lochman, PhD, ABPP, Center for Prevention of Youth Behavior Problems and Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Donald R. Lynam, PhD, Department of Psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

Robert J. McMahon, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Christopher J. Patrick, PhD, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Nicole P. Powell, PhD, Center for the Prevention of Youth Behavior Problems and Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Richard Rogers, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas

Naomi Sadeh, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois

Randall T. Salekin, PhD, Disruptive Behavior Clinic, Center for the Prevention of Youth Behavior Problems, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama

Kathrin Sevecke, MD, University of Cologne, Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Germany

Simone Ullrich, PhD, Centre for Psychiatry, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom

Edelyn Verona, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois

Essi Viding, PhD, Developmental Risk and Resilience Unit, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Michael J. Vitacco, PhD, Mendota Mental Health Institute, Madison, Wisconsin

Stuart F. White, MA, Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana

Laura Young, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

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Audience

Psychopathology researchers; child clinicians, including clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers; legal professionals and policymakers concerned with antisocial behavior in youth.

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Course Use

May serve as a supplemental text in graduate-level courses.