The effect of empathy and callous-unemotional traits on externalizing behavior in juvenile offenders: The mediating role of moral disengagement

Abstract

Background:

Recent research suggests that externalizing behaviors may influence the severity of delinquent behavior and may also be associated with low affective empathy and sensitivity to the well-being of others, as well as a decreased ability to recognize the emotions of others and to experience reciprocal psychological distress.

Aim:

This study examines the effects of empathy and callous unemotional traits-and the mediating role of moral disengagement-in explaining externalizing behavior in juvenile offenders.

Method:

The study was observational-analytic, correlational-exploratory, and involved 376 juvenile offenders (M = 17.36 years, SD = 1.445) who were sanctioned with a custodial measure.

Results:

Results indicated that empathy, callous-unemotional traits, and moral disengagement had significant associations and differential effects on externalizing behavior. In addition, moral disengagement was identified as a psychological mechanism mediating the effects of empathy and callous-unemotional traits on externalizing behavior, and the age invariance of the mediation model was determined.

Conclusion:

These findings provide valuable information for specific interventions aimed at reducing externalizing behaviors in juvenile offenders and highlight the importance of the fundamental mediating role of moral disengagement in the relationship between emotional factors and antisocial behavior.

Keywords

Empathy callous-emotionless traits externalizing behavior moral disengagement

Introduction

Juvenile delinquency is on the rise worldwide. Between 7% and 8% of all homicides in the United States involve a minor (Baglivio & Wolff, 2017), and approximately 10% of juvenile offenders have committed serious crimes (Baglivio et al., 2014; Baglivio & Wolff, 2017). In Latin America and the Caribbean, violence and adolescent involvement in crime is a social and public health issue of concern to governments (Hernández Bringas, 2021). Brazil, Colombia, and Peru report the highest concentration of adolescents in juvenile detention facilities in Latin America, which has been linked to the increase in juvenile crime in these countries (Hernández Bringas, 2021).

Studies have shown that, between 20% and 70% of adolescents who have been involved in delinquent activities, especially involving violence, present a high prevalence of conduct disorders, externalizing behaviors, antisocial traits, lack of empathy and poor self-care behaviors (Atilola et al., 2017, 2018; Gallego-Matellán et al., 2019; Fassaert et al., 2016; Saladino et al., 2020).

Thus, conduct problems are common in juvenile offenders. More seriously, conduct disorders are frequent diagnoses in this population (Restrepo & Acosta-Tobón, 2023). These problems act as risk factors (predisposing, precipitating, or perpetuating) for involvement in illegal activities such as vandalism, theft, and other delinquent behaviors, including serious crimes (Murray & Farrington, 2010). In general, this group of youth exhibits externalizing behaviors, which are characterized by aggressiveness and manifest in physical altercations, bullying, and verbal hostility. Furthermore, they display disruptive behaviors, including disobedience, defiance of authority, and violation of social and institutional norms. Hyperactivity, impulsivity, and substance abuse are prevalent, contributing to the exacerbation of these behaviors (Cuervo et al., 2015; Loeber & Burke, 2011; Restrepo & Acosta-Tobón, 2024).

A variety of causes have been identified for the externalizing problems of juvenile offenders. In addition to family dynamics and social environments, individual psychological factors are critical to understanding their disruptive and antisocial behaviors. Empathy is one of these psychological factors (Bock & Hosser, 2014; Jolliffe & Farrington, 2004).

It has been documented that juvenile offenders frequently exhibit substantial behavioral issues that precede the imposition of sanctions or emerge during detention. These behaviors are frequently associated with externalizing symptoms (Atilola et al., 2017, 2018; Gilbert et al., 2021). Externalizing behaviors exert a significant influence on the severity of criminal behavior and are directly associated with low affective empathy and sensitivity for the well-being of others, as well as a decreased ability to identify others’ emotions and experience reciprocal psychological distress (Atilola et al., 2018; Gilbert et al., 2021; Miller & Eisenberg, 1988). Furthermore, a lack of empathy is associated with increased impulsivity, which in turn increases the likelihood of engaging in risky and violent behaviors (Dal Santo et al., 2020; Gong et al., 2023; Piko & Pinczés, 2014). Several studies have documented difficulties in empathy expression among youth with behavioral problems (Arango et al., 2017; de Wied et al., 2010; Frick & Kemp, 2021; Michalska et al., 2016; von Polier et al., 2020).

A lack of empathy can have significant adverse effects and may manifest as callous-unemotional traits (CU). These traits are characterized by an inability or difficulty in understanding other people’s emotions, emotional indifference or disengagement, and a lack of emotional reaction to others’ emotions. Additionally, individuals with these traits may exhibit a lack of remorse, guilt, and callousness when someone has been harmed or harmed, and may display indifference to the needs, feelings, and well-being of others (Frick et al., 2018).

These traits also predispose youth to difficulties in accepting social norms and the law, which in turn increase the likelihood of engaging in delinquent and criminal behaviors (Gómez & Durán, 2024; Marzilli et al., 2021; Neo & Kimonis, 2021; Simmons et al., 2020). Moreover, callous-unemotional traits serve as reliable indicators of severe conduct disorders and represent a significant risk factor for the development of antisocial personality disorder in adulthood (Craig et al., 2021; Goulter & Moretti, 2021; Squillaci & Benoit, 2021; Waller et al., 2020).

Empathy should facilitate the avoidance of harming or injuring one’s fellow human beings. This capacity should be the result of typical socio-cognitive development, enabling the acquisition of moral development that produces moral reasoning and judgments aligned with social norms and human welfare (Bandura, 1977).

A series of cognitive mechanisms may result in the attenuation or nullification of prosocial moral reasoning, thereby leading to moral disengagement. In other words, these are the moral cognitive mechanisms that enable the rationalization and justification of disruptive and criminal behaviors without the subsequent emotional experience of guilt or regret (Bandura, 2002, 2016). These mechanisms include moral justification, euphemistic labeling, advantageous comparison, diffusion of responsibility, displacement of responsibility, distortion of consequences, dehumanization, and attribution of blame (Bandura, 1999, 2002; Moore, 2015).

There is evidence indicating that juvenile offenders experience difficulties in moral development, with this delay being closely associated with delinquent behavior, irrespective of socioeconomic status, gender, age, and intelligence (Stams et al., 2006). The role of moral disengagement and its associated mechanisms in the development and maintenance of antisocial behaviors in juvenile offenders has been well documented (DeLisi et al., 2014; D’Urso et al., 2018; Petruccelli, Barbaranelli, et al., 2017; Petruccelli, Simonelli, et al., 2017). A recent meta-analysis on moral disengagement in juvenile offenders revealed that these mechanisms have a disinhibitory effect on antisocial behaviors, leading to the commission of violent and nonviolent crimes against people and property (Férriz-Romeral et al., 2019). The authors concluded that moral disengagement may be a significant risk factor for delinquency, capable of weakening widely accepted protective factors such as empathy, resulting in persistent and severe delinquent behaviors (Férriz-Romeral et al., 2019).

In this regard, Shulman et al. (2011) reported a strong association between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement, as well as a moderate association between these traits and self-reported antisocial behavior. Additionally, the researchers discovered that callous-unemotional traits did not influence the long-term correlation between moral disengagement and delinquency in adolescents. The findings indicate that moral disengagement is the primary indicator of change in antisocial behavior (Shulman et al., 2011). Consequently, a reduction in moral disengagement levels serves as a protective factor against juvenile delinquency.

A variety of explanatory models have been proposed to elucidate the interrelationships between externalizing behaviors, callous-unemotional traits, and moral disengagement. Walters and DeLisi (2015) discovered that moral disengagement served as a mediator between psychopathic personality traits and violence and behavioral deviance among delinquents. In a similar vein, Thornberg and Jungert (2017) discovered that callous-unemotional traits were indirectly associated with bullying behaviors through a reduction in the utilization of harm-based moral reasoning. This form of moral reasoning entails the evaluation of an action’s moral status based on its potential to cause harm to others, with the aim of preventing unnecessary harm.

Furthermore, Paciello et al. (2020) examined empirical evidence regarding the interactions between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement in the prediction of externalizing and disruptive behaviors in young people. The analysis of several explanatory models revealed two key findings. Firstly, it highlighted the mediating and moderating role of moral disengagement. Secondly, it demonstrated the mediating role of callous-unemotional traits. The authors conclude that both CU traits and moral disengagement interact reciprocally during adolescence in predicting externalizing behavior and are conducive to antisocial-delusional behaviors (Paciello et al., 2020).

In contrast with these mediating models, Sijtsema et al. (2019) proposed that antisocial behavior represents a common underlying factor associated with dark personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) and moral disengagement. In a longitudinal study of adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder, Muratori et al. (2017) reported that increases in antisocial behavior predicted relative increases in moral disengagement over time; however, the reverse was not true. The authors found no evidence to support the hypothesis that moral disengagement mediates the relationship between psychopathic personality traits and antisocial behaviors. The longitudinal cross-mediated models revealed that antisocial behaviors exerted effects on moral disengagement and on psychopathic traits, but not on other types of relationships.

It is postulated that the proclivity towards aggressiveness, disobedience, disruptive behaviors, and other antisocial behaviors observed in many juvenile offenders can be attributed to a diminished capacity to recognize and respect the emotions and interests of others, coupled with a total indifference to the suffering of others and a lack of remorse, guilt, and sensitivity when someone has been harmed or harmed. In alignment with the assertions, the objective of this study was to examine the influence of empathy and callous-unemotional traits, along with the mediating role of moral disengagement, in elucidating externalizing behaviors among juvenile offenders. We began with the theoretical assumption, supported by some empirical findings, that juvenile offenders’ externalizing behaviors are partially explained by a lack of empathy and callous-unemotional traits. However, we also hypothesize that the effects of empathy and callous-unemotional traits impact externalizing behaviors through moral disengagement.

Method

Participants

Based on an observational-analytical study of correlational-exploratory scope (Ato et al., 2013), 376 juvenile delinquents who faced judicial proceedings in the System of Criminal Responsibility for Adolescents (SRPA) in Colombia and were sanctioned with a custodial measure in specialized reeducation centers participated. Participants were recruited from two of the most important re-education centers in Colombia because they housed the largest number of juveniles. A total of 54.5% (n = 205) were in the city of Manizales and 45.5% (n = 171) were in the city of Medellín. The age of participants ranged from 14 to 24 years, with a mean age of 17.36 years (SD = 1.445). A total of 58.3% were younger than 17 years old, 35.1% were between 18 and 19 years old, and 5.6% were between 20 and 24 years old. Among the participants, 82.2% were male. Regarding family structure, 33.2% came from single-parent families, 22.9% from extended families, 17.6% from nuclear families, 7.7% from reconstituted families, 4.8% reported living alone, 4.5% with their partner, 0.5% with their friends, and 7.4% did not answer. About 96.8% were of low socioeconomic status and had an average education of seventh grade (M = 6.87, SD = 1.969).

Instruments

Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement Scale (MMDS)

Designed to assess moral disengagement and its impact on aggressive and antisocial behavior (Bandura et al., 1996). It consists of 32 items with a 5-point Likert scale (1 [strongly disagree] to 5 [strongly agree]). The scale provides a total score for moral disengagement from the sum of the items and eight scores for each of the mechanisms (moral justification, euphemistic labeling, advantageous comparison, displacement of responsibility, diffusion of responsibility, distortion of consequences, dehumanization, and attribution of blame). The psychometric properties of the scale have been confirmed in several studies with a population of adolescents and young people in Colombia, showing good fit indicators for both a unifactorial and octofactorial model, as well as adequate internal consistency and significant correlations with theoretically relevant constructs (Gómez-Tabares et al., 2024; Restrepo Cervantes et al., 2024; Romera et al., 2023). The validated version for Colombia with 1,431 young people confirmed a first-order, single-factor structure grouping the eight mechanisms of moral disengagement (TLI = 0.999, AGFI = 0.993, CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.010) and invariance by gender, age, and geographic area (Gómez-Tabares et al., 2024). Internal consistency using McDonald’s Omega (ω) was .89 for the total scale and ranged from .72 to .86 for the subscales (Gómez-Tabares et al., 2024).

Inventory of callous unemotional traits. Self-report version (ICU)

It consists of 24 Likert-type items from 0 to 3 points (0 (completely false) to 3 (definitely true)) that assess callous-unemotional traits and three dimensions: unemotional (UE), callousness (CA), and uncaring (UC; Frick, 2004). The inventory was translated and validated in Spanish with a sample of 324 juvenile offenders from the juvenile justice system in Spain (López-Romero et al., 2015), and the factor structure composed of the three original dimensions was corroborated. The total score and the indifference subscale showed adequate internal consistency (α = .88 and .82, respectively), while it was acceptable for insensitivity and uncaring (α = .76 and .78, respectively; López-Romero et al., 2015). The CU inventory has also been adapted and validated in a multicenter community sample of Colombian neurotypical children and adolescents (n = 903) with internalizing (n = 54) and externalizing (n = 64) symptoms. A good fit was corroborated for a three-dimensional factor structure and an acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha for the 24-item version (.81 for total score, .58 for callousness, .76 for uncaring, and .77 for unemotional; Arango-Tobon et al., 2022. In addition, the CU inventory has been used with juvenile offenders in Colombia, reporting adequate internal consistency using McDonald’s omega (ω = .86 for the CU trait total score, .81 for callousness, .83 for uncaring, and .66 for unemotional; (Gómez, & Durán, 2024).

Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)

It is a self-report scale of 28 Likert-type items with five response options (1 (does not describe me at all) to 5 (describes me very well); Davis, 1983). It assesses cognitive and affective empathy based on four factors. Perspective Taking (ability to take the perspective of others) and Fantasy (ability to understand the feelings and behaviors of fictional characters) make up cognitive empathy. Empathic Concern (ability to experience warmth and compassion in situations that cause discomfort to others) and Personal Distress (experiencing feelings of fear, apprehension, and discomfort when observing negative experiences in others) make up affective empathy. The Spanish translated and adapted version with adolescents confirmed the 4-factor structure (Mestre et al., 2004). Arenas-Estévez et al. (2021) validated the 4-factor structure in a sample of university students and demonstrated good fit and invariance by gender. The scale demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (α) when applied to a Colombian population of juvenile offenders (total empathy (α = .73), perspective taking (α = .71), fantasy (α = .69), empathic concern (α = .82), and personal distress (α = .73); (Gómez Tabares & Narváez Marín, 2019).

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

It is a behavioral assessment questionnaire used to profile emotional and behavioral problems and symptoms in adolescents up to 17 years of age and over 18 years of age (Goodman, 1997). It consists of 25 items on a 3-point Likert scale ((1 (not true) to 3 (completely true)) that assess prosocial behavior (strengths) and internalizing and externalizing problems in 4 subscales: emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention symptoms, and peer relationship problems. The emotional symptoms and peer relationship problems subscales group internalizing problems, and the conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms subscales group externalizing behaviors (Ortuño-Sierra et al., 2015).

The psychometric properties of the SDQ in Spanish were analyzed in a sample of 1,547 adolescents and young adults aged 11 to 19 years (M = 15.15; SD = 1.99; Ortuño-Sierra et al., 2015). CFA yielded acceptable goodness-of-fit indicators for a 5-factor model and a bifactor model with a general factor and five dimensions. Measurement invariance across gender and age was also demonstrated. The internal consistency of the total difficulties score was .84 and ranged from .71 to .75 for the subscales (Ortuño-Sierra et al., 2015). Ortuño-Sierra et al. (2022) also confirmed the five-factor structure in adolescents (⩽17 years) and young adults (⩾18 years), as well as measurement invariance by age and gender. The internal consistency of the total difficulties score was ω = .74. This study focused on assessing externalizing behavior from the combined dimensions of conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms.

Statistical analysis

First, a descriptive analysis of the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants was performed. The distribution of the data was checked using Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. A descriptive analysis of the study variables was performed, followed by an analysis of correlations using Spearman’s coefficient to examine the relationships between empathy, callous-unemotional traits, moral disengagement, and externalizing behaviors.

A multi-equation model was proposed from path analysis to examine the direct and indirect effects of empathy, callous-unemotional traits, and moral disengagement (mediator) in explaining externalizing behaviors. The asymptotic free distribution method accompanied by bootstrapping with 10,000 resamples and a 95% confidence interval was used to determine the total, standardized direct and indirect effects of the proposed model (Byrne, 2016).

Robust indices, including the ratio of chi-squared to degrees of freedom (χ²/df), were used to assess model fit. Values below 3 in χ²/df are considered adequate (Schermelleh-Engel et al., 2003). Comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), goodness-of-fit index (GFI) and its corresponding adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI), and Bentler-Bonett normalized fit index (NFI). Values above 0.90 indicate adequate model fit (Byrne, 2016). The Bollen Incremental Fit Index (IFI) was also considered, with high values (⩾0.90) being preferred, reflecting an optimal balance between model complexity and explanation of observed variance (Byrne, 2016; Hu & Bentler, 1999; McArdle & Nesselroade, 2014).

In addition, the root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) was evaluated. Values below 0.08 in the RMSEA indicate a good model fit, suggesting minimal discrepancy between the estimated and observed covariance patterns (Hu & Bentler, 1999; McArdle & Nesselroade, 2014). The expectation cross-validation index (ECVI) was also reported. A lower ECVI indicates better model fit and replicability (Browne & Cudeck, 1992). Together, these indicators provide a rigorous and detailed assessment of model fit to the data.

Finally, the age-group invariance of the proposed model was analyzed. To determine whether the model was invariant, the stability of the fit indices of the unconstrained and constrained models was analyzed. In addition, the change in CFI (ΔCFI) was analyzed to determine the invariance of the model. If the change in CFI is equal to or less than 0.01 (ΔCFI ⩽ 0.01), invariance between groups is accepted (Cheung & Rensvold, 2002).

Ethical aspects

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad Católica Luis Amigó. It also had the ethical and technical approval of the Colombian government through the National Direction of the ‘Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar’ (Colombian Institute of Family Welfare). The study is of minimal risk according to Resolution 8430 of 1992 of the Ministry of Social Protection. The ethical principles of research were respected, guaranteeing anonymity, voluntary participation, confidentiality, minimal potential for harm, and transparency in the communication of results.

Results

Table 1 shows the results of the descriptive analysis and the correlations between the study variables. It was found that the total score of externalizing behavior and the dimensions of conduct problems and hyperactivity were directly and significantly correlated with all mechanisms of moral disengagement, fantasy, personal distress, callous-unemotional traits, and the callousness dimension. In addition, uncaring correlated directly and significantly with externalizing behavior, conduct problems, but not with hyperactivity. Perspective taking was inversely and significantly correlated with externalizing behavior and its dimensions. Empathic concern and unemotional trait had no significant correlations.

Table 1.

Descriptive analyses and correlations between the dimensions of moral disengagement, empathy, callous-unemotional traits with externalizing behavior.

Correlations	M (SD)	Min-max	Externalizing behavior	Behavioral problems	Hyperactive behavior
Moral disengagement	67.798 (22.236)	32–137	.411**	.474**	.422**
Moral justification	10.285 (4.010)	4–20	.357**	.321**	.301**
Euphemistic labeling	8.769 (3.242)	4–20	.353**	.304**	.303**
Advantageous comparison	7.348 (3.476)	4–20	.342**	.315**	.257**
Displacement of responsibility	8.585 (3.685)	4–20	.280**	.282**	.187**
Diffusion of responsibility	8.301 (3.355)	4–19	.282**	.246**	.240**
Distortion of consequences	8.513 (3.523)	4–20	.340**	.287**	.280**
Attribution of blame	8.242 (3.464)	4–20	.342**	.303**	.272**
Dehumanization	7.755 (3.766)	4–20	.283**	.277**	.193**
Total empathy	83.625 (11.866)	51–129	.091	.076	.070
Perspective taking	21.902 (4.401)	7–35	−.160**	−.149**	−.131*
Fantasy	20.715 (4.712)	7–35	.180**	.136**	.169**
Empathic concern	22.665 (4.333)	7–35	.018	−.006	.032
Personal Distress	18.343 (4.274)	7–33	.240**	.269**	.146**
Callous-unemotional traits	29.840 (8.408)	0–57	.317**	.374**	.167**
Callousness	14.287 (6.212)	0–31	.321**	.395**	.145**
Uncaring	8.000 (4.620)	0–24	.107*	.115*	.079
Unemotional	7.553 (2.810)	0–15	−0.011	−.005	−.004
M (SD)			7.577 (3.530)	3.428 (2.225)	4.149 (1.951)
Min-max			0–17	0–10	0–10

p < .05. **p < .01.

Table 2 illustrates the findings of the correlation analysis between the dimensions of moral disengagement, empathy, and callous-unemotional traits. In general, there were significant inverse correlations between perspective-taking, empathic concern, and moral disengagement. In contrast, personal distress, callous-unemotional traits, callousness, and a lack of empathy were found to correlate inversely and significantly with moral disengagement. No correlation was found between fantasy and unemotional trait and moral disengagement (see Table 2).

Table 2.

Correlations between moral disengagement, empathy, and callous-unemotional trait dimensions.

Correlations	MD	MJ	EL	AC	DR	DifR	DC	AB	DH
Empathy	−.083	−.146**	−.055	−.090	−.040	.025	.030	−.044	−.136**
Perspective taking	−.153**	−.167**	−.136**	−.155**	−.098	−.025	−.047	−.131*	−.214**
Fantasy	.007	−.005	−.006	.020	.001	.059	.013	.018	−.038
Empathic concern	−.219**	−.218**	−.165**	−.206**	−.119*	−.098	−.108*	−.177**	−.260**
Personal distress	.130*	.001	.152**	.090	.144**	.120*	.180**	.151**	.113*
Callous-unemotional	.278**	.224**	.234**	.268**	.199**	.128*	.220**	.273**	.230**
Callousness	.242**	.182**	.197**	.227**	.169**	.144**	.180**	.257**	.194**
Uncaring	.174**	.147**	.139**	.165**	.124*	.024	.139**	.144**	.167**
Unemotional	.069	.104*	.035	.061	.061	.047	.054	.075	.061

Note. MD = moral disengagement; MJ = moral justification; EL = euphemistic labeling; AC = advantageous comparison; DR = displacement of responsibility; DifR = diffusion of responsibility; DC = distortion of consequences; AB = attribution of blame; DH = dehumanization of the victim.

p < .05. **p < .01.

Path analysis was used to analyze the total, direct, and indirect standardized effects of exogenous variables on externalizing behavior in juvenile offenders. Moral disengagement was used as a mediator between the dimensions of empathy, callous-unemotional traits, and externalizing behavior. Because the unemotional dimension did not correlate with moral disengagement and externalizing behavior, it was removed from the path analysis to improve goodness-of-fit indicators. The proposed model obtained good goodness-of-fit indicators (see Table 3). In addition, age invariance was analyzed to determine if the proposed model was equivalent between adolescents aged 14 to 17 and 18 to 24 years. Comparison of goodness-of-fit indicators by adding constraints to the model and the difference in CFI (ΔCFI ⩽ .01; Cheung & Rensvold, 2002) indicated that the model was equivalent between these age groups.

Table 3.

Model goodness-of-fit indices and invariance by age.

Proposed model	χ²/df	df	p	IFI	CFI	NFI	TLI	GFI	AGFI	ECVI	RMSEA 90% CI
Proposed model	1.263	2	0.283	.998	.998	.989	.963	.998	.961	.188	.026 [.000–.110]
Metric invariance by age (14–17 years/18–24 years)
Unrestricted	.627	4	0.643	1.005	1.000	.991	1.093	.998	.998	.370	.000 [.000–.063]
Structural weights	.644	16	0.850	1.022	1.000	.963	1.089	.993	.993	.327	.000 [.000–.027]
Structural covariances	1.067	36	0.360	.990	.989	.863	.983	.974	.974	.295	.013 [.000–.040]
Structural residuals	1.112	38	0.293	.982	.981	.849	.972	.971	.971	.295	.017 [.000–.041]

Figure 1 shows that empathy dimensions, callous-unemotional traits, and moral disengagement explained 30% of juvenile offenders’ externalizing behavior (R² = .301, 95% CI [0.208, 0.370], p = .002). Empathy and callous-unemotional trait dimensions provided differential effects explaining moral disengagement by 14% (R² = .143, 95% CI [0.076, 0.201], p = .002).

Figure 1.

Model of externalizing behavior and the mediating role of moral disengagement.

Table 4 shows the total, direct, and indirect standardized effects of the exogenous and mediating variables on externalizing behavior (endogenous variable). Regarding the mediating role of moral disengagement, it was found that the traits of callousness (β = .065 95% CI [0.032, 0.109]; p < .001) and uncaring (β = .028; 95% CI [0.001, 0.064]; p = .046) and the dimensions of empathy corresponding to empathic concern (β = −.075; 95% CI [−0.122, −0.037]; p < .001) and personal distress (β = −.042; 95% CI [−0.011, 0.079]; p = .009) provided significant indirect effects, mediated by moral disengagement, on externalizing behaviors. The indirect effect of fantasy, mediated by moral disengagement, was not significant (see Table 4).

Table 4.

Total, direct, and indirect standardized effects of exogenous variables on endogenous variables.

Variables	Moral disengagement (mediator)			Externalizing behavior
Effects	Value β	95% CI	p	Value β	95% CI	p
Fantasy
Total	.059	[−.043, .161]	.24	.171	[.05, .282]	.004
Direct	.059	[−.043, .161]	.24	.153	[.041, .254]	.006
Indirect	–	−	−	.018	[−.012, .053]	.216
Callousness
Total	.209	.102, .311]	<.001	.303	[.210, .395]	<.001
Direct	.209	.102, .311]	<.001	.238	[.141, 0.334]	<.001
Indirect	−	−	−	.065	[.032, 0.109]	<.001
Empathic concern
Total	−.240	[−.356, −.12]	<.001	.014	[−.112, .137]	.836
Direct	−.240	[−.356, −.12]	<.001	.089	[−.03, .203]	.148
Indirect	−	−	−	−.075	[−.122, −.037]	<.001
Taking perspective
Total	−	−	−	−.175	[−.277, −.071]	.001
Direct	−	−	−	−.175	[−.277, −.071]	.001
Indirect	–	−	−	−	−	−
Personal distress
Total	.136	[.031, .236]	.013	.124	[.013, .232	.026
Direct	.136	[.031, .236]	.013	.082	[−.024, .183]]	.128
Indirect	−	−	−	.042	[.011, .079]	.009
Uncaring
Total	.091	[−.008, –.191]	.07	.123	[.027, .219]	0.014
Direct	.091	[−.008, .191]	.07	.095	[.001, .186]	0.046
Indirect	−	−	−	.028	[.001, .064]	0.046
Moral disengagement
Total	−	−	−	.311	[.217, .401]	<0.001
Direct	−	−	−	.311	[.217, .401]	<0.001
Indirect	−	−	−	−	−	−
R ²	.143	[.076, .201]	.002	.301	[.208, .370]	.002

Discussion

The present study aimed to analyze the effects of empathy and callous-unemotional traits, as well as the mediating role of moral disengagement, on externalizing behavior in juvenile offenders. The results demonstrated that empathy, callous-unemotional traits, and moral disengagement have significant associations and differential effects on externalizing behavior. Furthermore, trajectory analyses revealed that empathy and CU traits exert significant indirect effects on externalizing behavior through moral disengagement.

The most noteworthy aspect of our study was the identification of moral disengagement as a psychological mechanism mediating the effect of empathy and CU traits on externalizing behavior, as well as the determination of the age invariance of the mediation model. These findings are consistent with those of previous studies that have identified a consistent association between moral disengagement mechanisms and the severity of externalizing and antisocial behaviors in juvenile offenders (DeLisi et al., 2014; D’Urso et al., 2018; Kiriakidis, 2008; Petruccelli, Barbaranelli, et al., 2017; Petruccelli, Simonelli, et al., 2017). A common factor in this association between moral disengagement and externalizing behavior is the lack of empathy and emotional regulation, as well as the presence of callous-unemotional traits. Collectively, these factors predict antisocial behavior, crime severity, and inhibit prosocial behavior (DeLisi et al., 2014; D’Urso et al., 2018, 2019; Hyde et al., 2010; Hardy et al., 2014; Shulman et al., 2011; Gómez Tabares & Narváez Marín, 2019; Muratori et al., 2017; Paciello et al., 2008, 2017, 2020; Petruccelli, Barbaranelli, et al., 2017; Petruccelli, Simonelli, et al., 2017; Walters, 2018).

Other studies have demonstrated that moral disengagement is a mediator between empathy and callous-unemotional traits and externalizing-antisocial behaviors (Hyde et al., 2010; Ouvrein et al., 2018; Paciello et al., 2020). Furthermore, moral disengagement has been demonstrated to mediate the association between callous-unemotional traits and perpetration in bullying among adolescents (Thornberg et al., 2025) and peer influence on antisocial behavior in adolescent offenders (Walters, 2018).

The findings of research conducted with juvenile offenders in Colombia indicate that moral disengagement mechanisms are directly and significantly correlated with CU traits and inversely correlated with empathic concern and perspective-taking (Gómez Tabares & Narváez Marín, 2019; Gómez, & Durán, 2024). In this regard, Wang et al. (2017) conducted an analysis of the mediating and moderating role of moral disengagement in Chinese juvenile offenders. The researchers discovered that moral disengagement served as a mediator in the relationship between empathy and aggression. Furthermore, moderation analyses revealed that the negative association between empathy and aggression was significant at low levels of moral disengagement (β = −.38, p < .01), but not at high levels (β = −.01, p > .05; Wang et al., 2017).

Our findings are consistent with previous literature in demonstrating the role of moral disengagement as a mediator in the relationship between empathy, callous-unemotional traits, and externalizing behaviors in juvenile offenders. Furthermore, the effects of this mediation remain stable after controlling for age. However, our study also revealed discrepancies in the magnitude and significance of the direct and indirect effects of empathy and CU traits through moral disengagement in explaining externalizing behaviors. Therefore, it can be concluded that not all dimensions of empathy and CU traits exert the same influence on externalizing behavior, nor do they interact with moral disengagement in a uniform manner.

About empathy, two dimensions have been identified: affective and cognitive (Reniers et al., 2011; Watt, 2007). The cognitive dimension of empathy refers to the ability to understand another person’s point of view, including the capacity to empathize with fictional characters in a narrative context. The affective dimension of empathy encompasses empathic concern, which refers to the emotional response that coherently underlies the psychological state of the other person. The personal distress dimension of empathy involves the feelings of distress experienced when observing the adverse circumstances or suffering of other people (Gómez, 2019; Johnson et al., 2023; Lee et al., 2023).

Empirical studies have indicated that empathic tendency is a significant factor in moral agency processes and is associated with prosocial moral reasoning (Gómez, 2019). Conversely, it has been negatively linked to moral disengagement (Gómez Tabares & Narváez Marín, 2019). However, the extant literature is inconclusive as to whether, when empathy dimensions are analyzed individually, they retain the same effect on moral disengagement and externalizing behaviors in juvenile offenders.

The path analysis revealed that the affective dimension of empathy exerted significant direct effects on moral disengagement and indirect effects on externalizing behavior. Additionally, negative correlations and effects were observed between empathic concern and moral disengagement. Conversely, personal distress demonstrated positive correlations and effects on moral disengagement mechanisms. Regarding the cognitive dimension of empathy, perspective taking was found to correlate inversely with moral disengagement and mechanisms involving cognitive restructuring of behavior and victim devaluation. Furthermore, the path model indicated that perspective taking has a negative direct effect on externalizing behavior, while fantasy has a positive direct effect.

In consideration of the findings, it can be posited that the externalizing behaviors exhibited by juvenile offenders are mitigated by the influence of perspective-taking and empathic concern, which in turn serves to inhibit moral disengagement. These findings are consistent with the thesis that moral disengagement mechanisms are selectively activated in the context of harmful behaviors (Bandura, 1999, 2002, 2016; Moore, 2015). However, the capacity to comprehend one’s perspective and establish an emotional bond with others restrains externalizing behaviors and fosters prosocial ones. Consequently, the deactivation of the moral regulatory system through moral disengagement mechanisms is unnecessary. Conversely, if a high level of discomfort is experienced in the face of exposure to the suffering of others, cognitive mechanisms of moral disengagement are activated to mitigate self-censorship and externalizing behaviors (Moore, 2015). Accordingly, the correlation between personal distress and externalizing behavior is indirect, operating through the mechanism of moral disengagement, as evidenced by the findings of this study.

In this regard, Barriga et al. (2009) conducted an analysis of the associations between moral cognitions (moral judgment maturity, moral identity, and self-serving cognitive distortion) and empathy in juvenile offenders. The findings indicated that self-serving cognitive distortion was inversely associated with cognitive and affective empathy, whereas moral identity and moral judgment were positively associated with empathy. Additionally, self-serving cognitive distortion was identified as a mediator between moral identity and empathy in juvenile offenders. These findings are consistent with those of the present study, which indicated that juvenile offenders who demonstrate deficits in empathy tend to resort to self-serving cognitive distortion (Barriga et al., 2009). Self-serving cognitions are analogous to moral disengagement mechanisms in that they pertain to the ways in which individuals justify immoral or antisocial behaviors in order to maintain a positive self-image and avoid feelings of guilt.

The results of Barriga et al. (2009) are partially consistent with those reported in this study, as cognitive and affective dimensions had significant negative and positive direct effects, respectively, on moral disengagement. Thus, empathic concern has a reducing effect on moral disengagement, whereas personal distress has an increasing effect.

Our findings support the notion that distinct domains of empathy exert distinctive effects on the activation of cognitive mechanisms of moral disengagement involved in externalizing behavior in juvenile offenders. In this sense, the affective components of empathy may serve to either reduce or increase externalizing behavior through the activation of moral disengagement in juvenile offenders. The empathic concern of juvenile offenders increases their moral connection with the victim, thereby enhancing their capacity to recognize and value the suffering of others. This, in turn, renders it more challenging for them to justify or minimize the negative consequences of their own actions. However, the personal distress of juvenile offenders increases moral disengagement, which allows them to minimize the perception of harm and justify their actions, thereby reducing the guilt and disengagement they experience.

Another noteworthy finding was the positive and significant direct effect of fantasy on externalizing behavior, which was not mediated by moral disengagement. One potential explanation for this link is that it may be associated with the identification processes that juvenile offenders construct with figures of power that legitimize violence and domination over others. This may manifest in various forms, including cinematographic or literary contexts (e.g. the lives of famous drug traffickers). This empathic connection with characters and stories that legitimize violence may subsequently lead to externalizing behavioral modeling processes and the naturalization of violence. However, this remains a speculative explanation, and further studies are needed to provide more empirical support.

In this regard, the meta-analytic studies by Jolliffe and Farrington (2004) and van Langen et al. (2014) demonstrated that affective and cognitive empathy are associated with delinquency, yet their effects are distinct. A comparison of the effect size between delinquents and non-delinquents by van Langen et al. (2014) revealed that the link with delinquency was more pronounced for cognitive empathy (d = 0.43) than affective empathy (d = 0.19). Moreover, the association between a lack of empathy and delinquency was more pronounced in youthful offenders who had perpetrated violent offenses compared to adults and those who had committed sexual offenses (Jolliffe & Farrington, 2004).

Regarding CU traits, only callousness exhibited a significant positive direct effect on moral disengagement. Thus, the greater the emotional disengagement from the needs and suffering of others, the greater the reliance on reasoning strategies to justify one’s actions. This finding is consistent with the report by Walters (2018), who proposes that CU traits in general foster proactive criminal thinking. Moral disengagement removes moral barriers that would normally prevent youth from contemplating committing crimes. It is also possible that callousness and its effect on moral disengagement may contribute to the normalization of externalizing and delinquent behavior, which would facilitate a proactive and recurrent approach to crime. In order to achieve their personal objectives, juvenile offenders are willing to tolerate and justify their immoral actions by disabling moral control through moral disengagement (Paciello et al., 2020).

In adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders, CU traits and moral disengagement have been found to interact and contribute to the consolidation and persistence of an antisocial affective-cognitive system (Paciello et al., 2020). Gini et al. (2015) highlighted how moral disengagement promotes aggressive behavior, but emphasized that this relationship varies across different traits associated with psychopathy. However, they did not find that moral disengagement moderated the effects of CU traits on aggressive behavior. Walters et al. (2015), however, found that moral disengagement mediated the relationship between psychopathic personality traits and violent behaviors.

Additionally, Paciello et al. (2017) found that the relationships between these variables depended on their level. Not all youth with disruptive behavior disorders have the same levels of moral disengagement or CU traits. The interaction between higher moral disengagement and higher levels of CU traits is associated with greater severity of externalizing behaviors (Paciello et al., 2017).

Our model coincides with and complements the proposal that CU traits and moral disengagement contribute to the consolidation and persistence of an antisocial affective-cognitive system (Gini et al., 2015; Paciello et al., 2020). In line with this, we found that moral disengagement and CU traits (uncaring and callousness) have direct positive effects on externalizing behavior in juvenile offenders. This means that both the use of self-serving cognitions or strategies to rationalize and justify immoral behavior, as well as uncaring and callousness toward the suffering of others, increase the likelihood of antisocial behavior. In addition, it complements it because we found direct effects of some dimensions of empathy on externalizing behavior.

Limitations

The present study has several limitations. As an observational and cross-sectional study, it was not possible to determine the temporal precedence of the explanatory model with respect to the direct and indirect effects of empathy and UC traits and moral disengagement on externalizing behavior. In addition, self-report measures may introduce social desirability biases that cannot be fully controlled for in statistical analyses.

Future longitudinal and key informant-based studies could address these limitations and provide a more robust basis for explanatory models of the interactions between socioemotional and moral factors in externalizing behavior among juvenile offenders.

Despite these limitations, the path analyses were useful in establishing an explanatory model of externalizing behavior in juvenile offenders. Access to the selected sample is limited by government restrictions, which reinforces the importance of the data obtained and the implications of the results for the re-education processes and psychological care of juveniles who have been criminally sanctioned with custodial measures.

Conclusions

The results of this study support the proposed hypothesis that externalizing behavior is explained by the direct and indirect effects of empathy and callous-unemotional traits, through moral disengagement. Therefore, we can conclude that moral disengagement is a mediator of the association between empathy and CU traits in explaining externalizing behavior in juvenile offenders. In addition, the multigroup invariance analysis of the proposed model showed that the observed relationships, including the mediating effect of moral disengagement, remained stable when controlling for the age of the juvenile offenders. These analyses reinforce the robustness of the results by demonstrating that the model is invariant by age.

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

The main author of this paper would like to thank the Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación of Colombia for granting the forgivable credit for doctoral studies through the Call for Proposals 909.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project was funded by Universidad Católica Luis Amigó, Medellín, Colombia, and Universidad de San Buenaventura, Medellín, Colombia.

Ethical statement

ORCID iD

Anyerson Stiths Gomez Tabares

Jorge Emiro Restrepo

David Andres Montoya

Reporting guidelines

The JARS-Quant guidelines for non-experimental quantitative research were followed in this study.

Open science

Data supporting the conclusions of this study are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Data are not publicly available due to ethical restrictions.

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