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Psychological Disorders: The Role Of Sociopathy In Children

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Sociopathy, also known as antisocial personality disorder, is a mental disorder in which a person lacks a sense of moral responsibility or conscience. While children are not typically diagnosed with sociopathy because of their age, many traits of sociopathy can still be shown and identified. Traits, causes, and treatment are all important aspects to know about the topic of sociopathic children. Traits of sociopathy can be identified early in children, and can be useful in staging an intervention and getting help. Some traits include lying, manipulation, lack of emotion, and social disengagement. Irresponsibility, including denial and blaming others, is also common. Untrustworthiness, also, is a trait and a person with antisocial personality …show more content…

One theory is that the brains of sociopaths mature markedly slower than those of non-sociopaths. Another theory claims abnormalities in central nervous system development, such as the prefrontal cortex, could contribute to sociopathy. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for controlling, judgement, impulsiveness, aggressiveness, and decision-making, which are all related to sociopathic traits. There could also be a chemical imbalance in the brain, specifically a serotonin imbalance. Serotonin is known as the “happy brain” chemical, and brings about a positive sense of wellness in a person. Thus, changes in this balance could result in changes in personality. While not entirely a genetic disorder, family history of sociopathy could also be correlated to a diagnosis of antisocial personality …show more content…

Children who are used to having lax supervision and little to no consequences for their actions are more prone to develop sociopathy. Also, if the mother smoked during pregnancy, there are theories that this may have lowered oxygen levels within the fetus and slightly damaged the brain before the birth. A family history of antisocial personality disorder, going along with the “nature” aspect of “nature versus nurture”, can play a role in determining risk factors. Children who have already been diagnosed with a conduct disorder before the age of ten years old have a higher chance of developing sociopathy, if it is not already developed. The symptoms of conduct disorders and sociopathy can be nearly the same, and thus it can be challenging to recognize one from the

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