From childhood trauma to malicious creativity: The parallel mediation of impulsivity and callous‐unemotional traits in male juvenile offenders

Abstract

Purpose

Malicious creativity, creativity employed to intentionally harm others, is a disturbing yet understudied form of antisocial behaviour, particularly among male juvenile offenders. This study examined whether impulsivity and callous-unemotional traits mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and malicious creativity in this high-risk population.

Methods

A total of 475 male juvenile offenders incarcerated in a Chinese correctional facility completed validated self-report measures assessing childhood trauma (CTS), impulsivity (BIS-8), callous-unemotional traits (ICU-24) and malicious creativity (MCBS). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test direct and indirect effects.

Results

Childhood trauma was positively associated with impulsivity (β = 0.818, p < .001) and callous-unemotional traits (β = 0.699, p < .001). Interestingly, a direct negative effect was found between childhood trauma and malicious creativity (β = −0.319, p = .016). However, significant positive indirect effects emerged via impulsivity (β = 0.358, p = .003) and callous-unemotional traits (β = 0.285, p = .023), indicating a suppression effect. Both mediators were positively related to malicious creativity. The overall model accounted for 10.7% of the variance in malicious creativity.

Conclusions

Although childhood trauma may appear to inhibit malicious creativity directly, its influence through increased impulsivity and emotional detachment ultimately promotes harmful creative behaviours. These findings underscore the importance of early psychological interventions targeting emotion regulation and empathy development in justice-involved youth exposed to early adversity.