Criminals and Psychopathology

The first personality disorder to be recognized in the field of psychiatry was psychopathy. Psychopathy is commonly associated with an increased risk for antisocial behavior, crime, and violence (Hare & Neumann, 2009). In the field of criminal justice, encountering a criminal exhibiting psychopathology is a frequent occurrence based on the symptoms of this personality disorder. Psychopathology is defined as a personality disorder based on a cluster of symptoms. These symptoms include a constellation of interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial traits and behaviors (Hare & Neumann, 2009). Typically psychopathology is broken down into primary psychopath, secondary psychopath, controlled, and inhibited groups (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008). The antisocial behavior of primary psychopaths is usually an absence of conscience or guilt, typically making them incurable. Secondary psychopaths are motivated by underlying psychopathology and are potentially treatable (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008). Typically, individuals who suffer from secondary psychopathy have an inability to form interpersonal bonds and lack empathy and conscience.

            Primary psychopaths are typically impulsive, aggressive, hostile, extroverted  and self confident with low to average anxiety. Like primary psychopaths, secondary psychopaths are hostile, impulsive, and aggressive. Secondary psychopaths, unlike primary psychopaths, appear to be socially anxious, moody, and have low self-esteem (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008). The two other classifications of psychopathology are controlled and inhibited. The controlled classes of psychopaths are defensive, controlled, sociable, have low anxiety and high self-esteem. The inhibited classifications of psychopaths are shy, withdrawn, controlled, moderately anxious, and have low self-esteem (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008).

            Besides the classification types of psychopathology; investigators should be aware of the different clusters of interpersonal and affective traits and behaviors. On the interpersonal level psychopaths are grandiose, deceptive, dominant, superficial, and manipulative (Hare & Neumann, 2009). They typically have glibness or superficial charm and a grandiose sense of self-worth. Imagine serial killer Ted Bundy; several individuals who met him have stated that he was a rather charming individual. He actually used his superficial charm to lure some of his victims to his vehicle, where they ultimately met their deaths at the hands of Bundy. On the interpersonal level they are also manipulative for personal gain and deceitful (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008).

            Lifestyle behaviors like the need for stimulation, a parasitic lifestyle, impulsivity, and irresponsibility are also common with psychopaths (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008). While these behaviors alone might not be enough to indicate a clinical case of psychopathology, these behaviors combined with antisocial behavior could. Antisocial behavior like poor behavior controls, early behavior problems, criminal versatility, poor anger control, and juvenile delinquency could all lead to a diagnosis of psychopathology (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008).

            After examining behaviors and traits like those presented above, it is easy to see how understanding psychopathology aids predicting criminal behaviors. The characteristics important for inhibiting antisocial and violent behavior are seriously deficient in psychopathic people; empathy, close emotional bonds, fear of punishment, guilt (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008). Psychopathic people expressing their egocentricity, grandiosity, sense of entitlement, impulsivity, lack of behavioral inhibitions, and the need for power and control constitute what maybe described by a prescription for the commission of antisocial and criminal acts (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008). Unlike other offenders, psychopathic people appear to suffer little personal distress, see little wrong with their attitudes and behavior, and seek treatment when it only benefits themselves (Blackburn, Logan, Donnelly, & Renwick, 2008). For investigators who are interviewing psychopaths, unless specifically trained to deal with this personality disorder, obtaining a confession might be impossible. This is due to a psychopath’s grandiose sense of self-worth and lack of guilt. Since psychopathic persons are almost impossible to relate to, I would urge investigators to interview these individuals by properly trained personnel.

           

            REFERENCES

Blackburn, R., Logan, C., Donnelly, J., & Renwick, J. (2008). Identifying Psychopathic Subtypes: Combining an Empirical Personality Classification of Offenders with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Journal of Personality Disorders, 22, (6), 604-622.

Blundell, N., & Blackhall, S. (2004). Visual Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. England: Greenwich Publications.

Castleden, R. (2005). Serial Killers. England: Time Warner.

Hare, R., Neumann, C., (2009). Psychopathy: Assessment and Forensic Implications. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 54, (12), 791-802.

Lane, B., & Gregg, W. (1995). The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Berkley Publication Group.