Impact of Destructive Peer Pressure on Criminal Attitudes Among Pakistani Young Adults: Moderating Role of Callous Unemotional Traits and Gender

The influence of peer pressure on delinquent behavior is well-documented; however, the moderators of peer pressure on criminal attitudes and behavior remain relatively unexplored. In this study, callous unemotional traits and gender was examined as moderators between destructive peer pressure and criminal attitudes among young adults. Instruments administered in study comprised of demographic sheet, Criminal Sentiment Scale-Modified (Shields and Simourd, 1991), Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (Frick, 2004) and Peer Pressure Assessment Scale (Mahmood, Shuja, and Atta, 2013). Study was conducted to check the hypotheses on a sample of 500 young adults (men = 282, women = 218) with an age ranging from 18 to 23 years (M = 20.58, SD = 1.51). The results demonstrated that both destructive peer pressure and callous unemotional traits were significant positive predictors of criminal attitudes among young adults. Furthermore, the study revealed that callous unemotional traits and gender moderated the relationship between destructive peer pressure and criminal attitudes. Specifically, individuals with higher levels of callous unemotional traits were more likely to develop criminal attitudes when exposed to destructive peer pressure. Additionally, gender differences emerged as a moderating factor, suggesting that the influence of destructive peer pressure on criminal attitudes may vary between men and women. The findings provide a foundation for developing targeted interventions aimed at reducing criminal attitudes by addressing both destructive peer pressure and the moderating effects of callous unemotional traits and gender.