The treatment of conduct problems in children with callous-unemotional traits

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of callous-unemotional (CU) traits on treatment outcomes and processes in a 10-week behavioral parent-training intervention with young boys referred for conduct problems (N = 56; mean age 6.29 years). CU traits were associated with greater conduct problems at pretreatment and with poor outcomes at 6-month follow-up. CU traits uniquely predicted clinical outcomes when analyzed in relation to conduct-problem severity, other predictors of antisocial behavior, and parents' implementation of treatment. Boys with high CU traits were less responsive to discipline with time-out than boys without CU traits and reacted to this discipline with less affect. These findings present important implications for the role of child temperament in intervention for conduct problems.