Antisocial Personality Disorder And Incarcerated Individuals

According to studies led by King’s College researchers, it has been confirmed that “psychopathy is a distinct subgroup of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)” (Gregory et. al n.p) and similarly to psychopathy, the more severe ASPD behavioral patterns are, the symptoms can be referred to as sociopathic or psychopathic. Furthermore, according to Nigel Blackwood, Ma, MD.MRCPsych, “MRI scans...found that psychopaths had structural brain abnormalities in key areas of their ‘social brains’” (Gregory et. al n.p). The areas of the brain, in which are deficient in psychopaths, are important when comprehending an individual emotions’, intentions, and moral

Antisocial personality disorder is a mental health condition characterized by various behavioral symptoms (including impulsivity or failure to plan ahead, disregard for the safety of others and irresponsibility), interpersonal symptoms (deceitfulness), affective symptoms (including a lack of remorse) and other symptoms (such as irritability and aggressiveness, repeated behaviors that are grounds for arrest, and the onset of conduct disorder prior to the age of 15 years). Although laws differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, this mental health condition may be grounds for a defense against criminal charges provided an accurate and timely diagnosis of the disorder is made. The diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, though, is frequently confounded by the presence of a broad spectrum of comorbid disorders. Because there is often a great deal at stake, the accurate diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder in criminal cases has become the focus on an increasing amount of research in recent years, an issue that also forms the focus of this study. An overview of antisocial personality disorder is followed by a discussion concerning what instruments are typically used for diagnosing antisocial personality disorder and the implications of these diagnoses. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings are presented in the study's conclusion.

Every person is commonly known for their unique personality, and the traits each of us have that are different than others. One thing many people suffer from is some Personality Disorder such as Antisocial Personality Disorder. Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is a disorder that is going against and violating other people's rights (Corner, 2014). Individuals with this disorder are more found to link with a criminal history or showing signs of criminal activity (Corner, 2014). Researchers are more apt to look at a person's behavior rather than personality traits and psychopathological aspects of what caused this

The overlap can already be seen just reviewing the criteria; however, ASPD is distinct because of the lack of remorse and empathy for others. For example, they don’t care about the feelings of others and would be willing to remove others from their path if they stood in their way, whether that means through murder or claiming sexual assault. They wouldn’t feel remorse for removing those people from their paths because people, who exhibit antisocial personality disorder, value winning more than people or breaking the law(Stout, 2005). This is why it is important to stop conduct disorder in it’s tracks—to help diminish the amount of people who develop ASPD and continue crime into

The first step in diagnosing someone as a sociopath is to create a standard of sociopathic behavior. Formally, sociopathy is referred to as Antisocial Personality Disorder or ASPD. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines ASPD as “A mental health condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others"(Sociopathic Traits 1) and lists seven identifying traits. It is important to understand that ASPD is a condition of varying degrees. To be considered a sociopath, one does not have to display all seven traits. In fact, there is much debate about what level of sociopathic behavior deserves a diagnosis of ASPD. Possibly the most widely accepted scale is the Hare PCL-R, which ranks sociopathic tendencies. Even though Hare is the most commonly accepted standard, it is still somewhat disputed. The professional agreement, it seems, is that ASPD can vary in intensity. Therefore, even though he does not display the

Antisocial personality disorder is a disorder of the brain that cause one to disregard other people’s rights by violating them, they lack empathy and are very malicious towards others, they enjoy the suffering of individuals whether it be an animal or human being and it usually occurs during child/teen hood and worsens as the child ages. With this disorder comes a hatred toward society due to lack of knowledge of the real world “Many of the children grow up shy, lonely, highly sensitive, with feelings of being rejected, unloved and neglected by family and/or society”(Miller, 2014, p.13). Isolation at young ages causes children to not know how to interact with others in the real world they think that it is okay to violate personal space because they were never taught what that was. With the isolation and feelings of oddity in the child, they begin to manifest fantasies within their own mind (Miller, 2014, p.14). Many times the child starts out with violent sexual fantasies that they would like to act out but do not have an execution plan so they experiment on inanimate objects or even themselves or family members who will not tell such as younger siblings. This quickly escalates to the things they do to strangers in society starting with smaller steps such as stalking, peeping tom, or abduction. With such successes, they begin their reign of terror

Individuals with antisocial personality disorder frequently commit illegal acts like destroying property, stealing, and harassing others. They often employ manipulation and deceit to obtain profit or pleasure. The criterion of impulsivity is often seen in a lack of planning. In other words, these individuals live in the present, not thinking about the past or future. This is often seen in numerous and sudden job changes, homes, or significant others. They tend to repeatedly fight with others and commit physical assault. A reckless disregard for one’s safety and that of others is often shown by unsafe driving behavior like drunk driving, drug abuse, or high risk sex. Those diagnosed are irresponsible. For example, it is not uncommon to see erratic work history, large gaps in employment (even when employment was readily available), departing a job with no plan to get another, and repeated unexcused absences

Anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) is described as someone who lacks moral or ethical development is unable to follow correct methods of behavior, finds ways to be deceitful, has no qualms in shamelessly manipulating others and tended to have had behavioral problems as a child. According to the DSM-5 only individuals over 18 can be diagnosed with ASPD and the symptoms must have been shown prior to 15. ASPD can be confused with psychopathy and although they have some overlap they are different. ASPD places heavy emphasis on observable behaviors such as lying, getting into fights, or failing to honor financial obligations (Hooley, p.356). With psychopathy, more emphasis is paid to personality characteristics such as superficial charm, lack of empathy, and manipulativeness. It seems that no matter how you look at it ASPD is affected by genes and the environment. The effects and interactions of ASPD that was once seen as simply unidirectional- family to child is now being understood that the effects can be bi directional going both ways.

It is hard to first distinguish someone with this disorder because most of them are very friendly, outgoing, and have very likable personalities. Since they often feel no guilt or remorse they repeatedly leave behind a trail of friends, family, and unknown victims with a sometimes-irreversible damage of lies, manipulation, frustration and broken promises. The lack of moral or emotional development gives an antisocial person a lack of understanding for other people's feelings. This enables them to be malicious and deceitful without feeling remorse about their actions. They are incapable of having long lasting, close, warm and responsible relationships with

Furthermore, psychopathy was considered during the twentieth century, the most widely used term to describe antisocial behavior (Reed, 1996). In the 1980s, the committee who devised the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for the American Psychiatric Association recommended the term antisocial personality syndrome to be changed to antisocial personality disorder (Ellis & Walsh, 2000). Antisocial Personality Disorder Hare & McPherson (1984), were successful in pushing the idea that there is a significant correspondence between violent and persistent delinquent and criminal histories and antisocial personality disorder diagnosis. Acute persistent child conduct disorder behavior symptoms, also known as conduct disorder, have been directly linked to serious criminality and antisocial personality disorder (Ellis & Walsh, 2000). Although criminality and antisocial personality disorder ought not be equated, they should be seen as closely linked behavioral phenomena (Ellis & Walsh, 2000). Vitella (1996) believes that individuals with childhood conduct disorder have a higher than normal probability of being both criminal and diagnosed antisocial personality disorder in adolescence and adulthood, and persons with serious criminal records have a higher probability of being diagnosed psychopathic than those with little or no criminal history. Nevertheless, Ellis & Walsh (2000) in caution pointed out that these

The researchers, based at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, said the differences in psychopaths' brains mark them out even from other violent criminals with anti-social personality disorders (ASPD), and from healthy non-offenders. The study showed that psychopaths, who are characterised by a lack of empathy, had less grey matter in the areas of the brain important for understanding other people's emotions.

Many people have ideas of how they think a person with a personality disorder acts. When someone talks about a personality disorder, they are most likely to use the words sociopathic or psychopathic. These two disorders are actually the same thing, but in pop culture are often confused as two completely different issues (Haycock, 2014, p. 46). Things usually associated with ASPD usually include murder, abuse, rape, and all other manners of violence. Most associate things such as maniacal laughter and “evil plans” with someone who is psychotic. These preconceived notions about this disorder is not entirely incorrect, but there are some major holes in these ideas that can make dealing with these illnesses much more difficult. The exact definition

Before the diagnosis of Antisocial Personality disorder is made, it must be distinguished from many other disorders first. The first diagnosis that must be ruled out is Substance Abuse Disorder. This can be very hard because APD and Substance Abuse Disorder tend to go hand in hand, and both diagnoses can be given at the same time. The key in distinguishing the two is that the symptoms don’t occur solely because of a drug addiction, which can lead to being manipulative or the individual stealing money and other property to obtain drugs. APD must also be distinguished from many other personality disorders, because they often share symptoms. One disorder that APD can be mistaken for Narcissistic Personality Disorder because the individuals suffering from these disorders tend to be superficial and un-empathic to others feelings but a person suffering from APD tends to be more aggressive and deceitful (American Psychiatric Association, p.705). Other disorder that share symptoms with APD are Histrionic and Borderline Personality Disorders. Individuals suffering from these three disorders all tend to be manipulative, but sufferers

An illness that can also be known as “psychopathy” or “sociopathy”, ASPD is an adult disorder only available once the individual reaches the age of 18 and continues to show Conduct Disorder symptoms. ASPD is defined in the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual as “a persuasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood” (DSM-V, 2013, ¶ 1). It has actually be found in a study that the likelihood of a child or adolescent with Conduct Disorder (CD) developing ASPD as an adult was 35-50% (Corff, Toupin, 2014).There are many symptoms of ASPD that match up with symptoms of conduct disorder such as unlawful behavior against authority or authority figures, constant deceitful behavior, impulsivity, repetitive acts of physical attacks and/or psychological abuse toward others, and a lack of concern for the safety of others and possibly themselves (DSM-V, 2013, ¶ 3). The two illness are so connected that, in order to be diagnosed with ASPD, being diagnosed with Conduct disorder as a child or adolescent is listed as a part of the criteria. Similarly, those that don’t meet the full criteria for ASPD but are at least 18 years of age can still be diagnosed with Conduct

The biology and environment play a huge role in these offender’s lives. The interaction between neurological and having a disadvantaged environment can put them at a higher risk of becoming an offender. These offenders can be seen as psychopaths because of the factors that are a play. Throughout their childhood they begin to have antisocial conduct. Then during adolescence they begin to have cumulative consequences and in adulthood they start to commit criminal behavior.