“Nothing really matters”: Emotional numbing as a link between trauma exposure and callousness in delinquent youth
Abstract
This study investigated the interrelations among trauma exposure, emotional numbing, and callous–unemotional traits in a sample of 276 youth (68 girls and 208 boys) recruited from 2 juvenile detention centers. Youth completed interview measures of trauma exposure and betrayal trauma, as well as self‐report measures of emotional numbing and callous–unemotional traits. Results of path analyses using nonparametric bootstrapping procedures indicated findings consistent with the hypothesis that the association between trauma exposure and callous–unemotional traits was mediated by the general numbing of emotions, R2 = .40, and also specifically by numbing of sadness, R2 = .27. In addition, further analyses indicated that numbing of fear, R2 = .18, and sadness, R2 = .26, statistically mediated the relations to callous–unemotional traits only for those traumatic experiences involving betrayal. Gender was not found to moderate these effects.
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Research with much younger samples has found support for the mediational role of reexperiencing in externalizing behaviors and aggression/violence.
“research with much younger samples have found support for the mediational role of reexperiencing in externalizing behaviors and aggression/violence (Allwood & Bell, 2008; Kerig et al., 2012).”
From Childhood Physical Abuse and Antisocial Traits: Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Clusters (2022) · cites this paper as Kerig et al., 2012
Prior studies that measured symptoms of avoidance and numbing together as a single PTSS cluster may have overlooked the significant role of active avoidance, as well as the need to specifically target these symptoms in treatment.
“More specifically, prior studies that measured symptoms of avoidance and numbing together as a single PTSS cluster may have overlooked the significant role of active avoidance (Kerig et al., 2012), as well as the need to specifically target these symptoms in treatment.”
From Childhood Physical Abuse and Antisocial Traits: Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Clusters (2022) · cites this paper as Kerig et al., 2012
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- Authors
- Kerig, P. K., Bennett, D. C., Thompson, M., & Becker, S. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Utah (US)
- Miami University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kerig, Patricia K.
- Venue
- Journal of Traumatic Stress
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-05-21
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 272-279
- ISSN
- 0894-9867 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6598
- OpenAlex
- W2085652419
- Cited by
- 188
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 9.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Traumatic Stress (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Keywords
- emotional numbing, callous-unemotional traits, trauma exposure, betrayal trauma, juvenile delinquency, juvenile offenders, mediation, sadness, fear, gender differences
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Child, Female, Humans, Juvenile Delinquency, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, United States, Wounds and Injuries, Apathy
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