Psychopathy In Psychology

While mental disorders are characterized by abnormal behaviors in certain people, abnormal behavior is considered by psychologists when a combination of the mentioned elements meet together: unusual or statistically infrequent; socially unacceptable or in violation of social norms; fraught with misperceptions or misinterpretations of reality; associated with states of severe personal distress; maladaptive or self-defeating; and dangerous (Nevid et al, 2011). Some would think that psychopathy is considered a mental disorder due to its characterization based on abnormal behavior but in fact isn’t classified as one by the terms of the DSM-IV. As defined in the DSM-IV, “A mental disorder is a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress or disability or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom.” (Hare, 2009) Therefore, psychopaths are described as being people suffering from antisocial personality disorder and are evaluated and judged by these terms. The following paper’s goal will therefore consist of explaining what is psychopathy and its facets, how psychopathy in youth is apprehended, how psychopathy influences violence and sexual violence, as well as evaluating if psychopaths are considered by the judge to be criminally responsible.

Considered a personality disorder that includes a multitude of interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, antisocial traits and behaviors, psychopaths usually have a hard time with regards to the interpersonal level as they are often considered to be grandiose, dominant, deceptive, manipulative, and superficial. Described as having shallow em...

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...dant’s actions. While suffering from this type of disorder should be weighed-in, psychopathy should not excuse any previous criminal acts as the people who have committed the crime had full conscious of their wrong-doings, they simply don’t understand why it is so wrong acting the way they do. Their acts of violence are more or less justified and therefore should be imposed on that main fact. Finally, while psychopathy is not considered a mental disorder, people who suffer from it should be held partially responsible. In order to try and prevent such behavior at adulthood, further studies for children psychopathic behaviors should be focused on. Not only for youth but for all people suffering from psychopathy, studies should be reinforced in order to prevent criminal acts committed by such people. Treatment of any kind should be relied upon to prevent such danger.