Teenagers with severe antisocial behaviour have difficulty recognising facial expressions and are less likely to look at people's eyes, a British study has found.
Researchers used eye-tracking methods to investigate why teenagers with conduct disorder have difficulty recognising different emotions in others.
Symptoms of the disorder, which is thought to affect at least five per cent of school-age children, range from truancy and lying to physical violence and weapon use.
Children with conduct disorder were found to have more difficulties in recognising emotional facial expressions compared with their peers.
The study, by the University of Bath and the University of Southampton, also found teenagers with conduct disorder were less likely to look in the eye region of the face.
When they did look at the eyes, which are critical in communicating how people are feeling, they still found it more challenging to recognise emotional expressions.
It is hoped the study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, will lead to new treatments for children and young people with the condition.
Conduct disorder is poorly understood and thought to be under-diagnosed and often untreated, the researchers say.
It differs from more well-known behavioural conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, although many children suffer from both.
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