Applying a Network Approach To Characterize Gender Differences in Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits among Children from Two Countries

TL;DR

This study uses network analysis to explore gender and country differences in conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits among children in the US and Spain.

Contribution

The study introduces a network approach to characterize gender differences in conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits across two countries.

Findings

Boys younger than age 12 had higher conduct problem risk rates than girls in the US.

Network analysis showed stronger connectivity for callous-unemotional traits compared to conduct problem symptoms.

Relational aggression was more central among girls, while property destruction and theft were more central in the US.

Abstract

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits (i.e., low empathy, restricted guilt, limited prosociality) are associated with severe conduct problems (CP) across development. However, there is heterogeneity in how CP and CU traits manifest at different ages, between boys and girls, in different countries, and different measures. The current study investigated this heterogeneity by applying network analysis to two large mixed-gender samples from the United States (US) and Spain assessed at different ages, with parent ratings of CP, conduct disorder (CD) symptoms, and CU traits. Data were from the ABCD baseline study (US, N = 11,874, age M = 9.48, SD = 0.51, 47.8% girls) and social development sub-study (US, N = 2,426, age M = 11.52, SD = 0.73, 47.4% girls), as well as two waves of the ELISA study (Spain, N = 1,342, age M = 10.24, SD = 1.07, 50.2% girls; N = 1,259, age M = 10.92, SD = 1.01, 50% girls). There were similar rates of CP risk across countries and genders, with the exception that boys younger than age 12 had higher CP risk rates than girls in US. Boys also had higher CU traits than girls in both countries. Network analysis revealed stronger connectivity between items assessing CU traits than CP symptoms, which was consistent across measures and countries. Disobedience and deceitfulness were central symptoms across all samples. Relational aggression was more central among girls, and property destruction and theft were more central in the US. Results highlight the need for personalized interventions that target specific symptoms of CP and CU traits, which can help reduce the burden of antisocial conduct across the lifespan.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10802-025-01399-7.

Figures