The roles of affect dysregulation and deficient affect in youth violence

Children with high dysregulated affect experience a range of emotional and behavioral problems, including aggression, delinquency, and low levels of prosocial behavior. Alongside this research, the psychopathy literature suggests that abnormally low levels of affect and emotional reactivity are associated with aggression and violence. The current study builds on prior research in the fields of affect regulation and psychopathy by testing the effects of affect dysregulation and deficient affect in predicting aggression and antisociality in 179 high-risk youth. Using structural equation modeling, results suggest that affect dysregulation and deficient affect are separate risk factors for aggression, as both constructs contributed independently to aggression while showing marginal relations with one another. Features of deficient affect, but not dysregulation, were robust predictors of violent and nonviolent offending. We discuss the importance of recognizing that diverse risk factors may lead to similar outcomes and highlight the heterogeneity in risk factors underlying aggressive behaviors.