criminal psycopathy
explanatory Essay
1078 words
Psychopaths have been around since the dawn of man we just never really knew what to label these certain individuals. But now with the rise of technology we have begun to understand psychopathic behavior and what traits you need to have to be labeled a “Psychopath”. It all started with the founding father of modern psychiatry Philippe Pinel. In 1801 Pinel had a group of patients in which he believed had “insanity without delirium”. He then went on to believe that these individuals who had no known intellectual issues but rather antisocial defects as well as very cruel type behavior.
It is very important to note that psychosis and psychopathy are alike in a sense but different. As to where psychosis is someone who has no contact with reality, these individuals suffer from hallucinations, and very disordered thoughts. On the other hand psychopathy is more like a mental disorder in which a person will have many antisocial behavior problems, as well as the lack of being able to establish any real relationship with anyone. In this group of individuals was the absence of very psychotic characteristics that originally divided the people with psychopathy from other patient groups.
Evidence for psychopathy has been found in literary, historical, political and religious texts. It has also been found cross-culturally. Another known fact about psychopathy, in 1941 Hervey Cleckley became the first to catalogue psychopathys specific traits. In 1988 the term psychopath was coined by German psychiatrist, J.L.A Koch. Koch saw psychopathy as it arising from a flaw in a persons constitution at birth. Then Constitutional psychopathy became very big in the United States, in the litature of the early nintheen hundreths.
In 1909, there was an i...
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...perform their criminal activities. Now that so much time has passed by and technology has advance so much we are able to give psychopaths forms and options of rehabilitation so that they can value themselves as individuals and see if they can live in a regular society.
Through out time and history there have been many theories of what truly defines a criminal psychopath. Some have evolved and progressed more than others. Form the first study conducted through now we have a better understanding of the characteristics that make up a psychopath. Although there are a variety of different psychopath categories there are those main characteristics that everyone should be aware of. These include : Lacl of remorse, Lack of empathy, Lack of realistic or long term goals, poor judgment, having a manipulating personality, superficial charm, and above average intelligence.
In this essay, the author
- Explains how the rise of technology has helped us understand psychopathic behavior and what traits you need to have to be labeled a "psychopath".
- Explains that psychosis and psychopathy are similar in a sense, but different. they differ in that they suffer from hallucinations, disordered thoughts, and antisocial behavior problems.
- Explains that evidence for psychopathy has been found in literary, historical, political, and religious texts, as well as cross-culturally.
- Explains that birnbaum believed that antisocial behaviors rarely stemmed from constitutional flaws in the individuals character. the problem that arose from having sociopathy was that too many individuals fall under those characteristics.
- Explains how hare proposed a scheme that outlined three main catagories of psychopaths: primary, secondary, and dissocial.
- Explains that hervey clekly fealt was a necessary main feature of superficial charm mixed with average to above average intelligence. psychopaths impress individuals by being overly friendly, persuasive, and likeable.
- Explains that psychopathy is a well-known subject when it comes to criminal behavior. the general public, law enforcement, and media associate psychopaths with certain behaviors.
- Explains that psychopaths lack most symptoms of thinking and severe depressions. psychologists do not consider psychology a mental disorder, but they do believe that it is biological basis.
- Explains that entertainment media illustrates psychopaths as inhumane individuals that enjoy to-do violence. however, traits and characteristic tendencies change for adults and teens, which puts them at different levels.
- Explains that psychopathy is one of the most important psychological constructs in the criminal justice system.
- Analyzes hare's view that they lack a normal sense of ethics and morality. they use instruments to intimidate their victims and violence to satisfy their needs.
- Explains that in 1992, the federal bureau of investigations found that nearly half of the incidents that occurred in jail where law enforcement died in the line of duty were caused by an inmate with psychopath tendencies.
- Explains that many psychopaths engage in violence because they see it as a form of revenge or just because of their evil tendencies.
- Explains that there have been many theories of what truly defines a criminal psychopath, some have evolved and progressed more than others.
Related
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- Psychopathy: Personality Disorderexplanatory essayPsychopathy “Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by an inability to form human attachment, aggressive narcissism, and antisocial behavior defined by a constellation of affective, interpersonal and behavioral characteristics, most of which society views as pejorative” [1]. Some of these characteristics include irresponsibility, grandiosity, cunning, deceitfulness, selective impulsivity, sexual promiscuity, lack of empathy, etc. People who are psychopathic display not only antisocial behavior but also emotional impairment such as the lack of guilt. They are able to prey on others using their charm, deceit, violence or any other methods that allow them to get what they want.
In this essay, the author
- Describes psychopathy as a personality disorder characterized by an inability to form human attachment, aggressive narcissism, and antisocial behavior, which society views as pejorative.
- Explains that psychopathy was first written about by psychiatrist philippe pinel in the early 19th century. hervey cleckley wrote 'the mask of sanity' which is considered as the cornerstone of the study of psychopaths.
- Explains that the amygdala is involved in aversive conditioning and instrumental learning and is responsible for all the processes that, when impaired, produce the same functional impairments displayed by psychopaths.
- Explains that the amygdala and ofc are implicated in psychopathic pathology. dr. craig and his colleagues studied the connectivity between the two brain regions involved in psychopathy.
- Explains that the term psychopath is synonymous with terms like serial killer and rapist, but the characteristics that define it do not necessarily imply or involve criminal behavior.
- Explains that a psychopathic personality is prone to criminal behavior because of their underdeveloped super-ego, which removes them from empathy and remorse.
- Explains that psychopaths are goal-oriented and driven by self gain. they are more proactive, predatory, and purposeful, with a desired external goal being the driving force.
- Explains that psychopathy has a complex relationship with sexual offense where despite its association with various types, its relationship to overall sexual offending has been found to be weak.
- Distinguishes between primary and secondary psychopathy. primary psychopaths engage in antisocial behavior as a result of genetic or biological predispositions that occur during infancy.
- Explains that secondary psychopaths pass through the developmental stages needed to form human attachments and show more anxiety, empathy, and guilt than their primary counterparts. their antisocial behavior cannot be narrowed down to one psychological phenomenon.
- Analyzes how cleckley preempted the current research into the multiple factors of psychopathy and noted that not all psychopaths exhibit antisocial behavior.
- Explains that a number of professionals who are ceos, doctors, lawyers, politicians exhibit similar scores to psychopaths on scales of histrionic, narcissistic, and compulsive personality disorder.
- Explains lykken's theory that psychopaths are merely individuals with low fear quotients who can perceive most other emotions but not fear.
- Explains that psychopathy is relevant to law enforcement, corrections, courts, and others working in related fields. psychopaths make conscious decisions to commit crimes, yet their choices may have been predetermined in early infancy.
- Explains that psychopathy is a powerful predictor of violent recidivism and dangerousness. understanding psychopaths and their personality and behavioral traits allows authorities to design strategies that more likely will work with them.
2102 wordsRead More - Research on Psychopathy: A Personal Disordercomparative essayPsychopathy is an extremely complex subcategory of a specific personality disorder. This disorder has been researched since approximately the 18th century. Modern technology in science can detect psychopathy by examining the human brain using different techniques. This technology can and should be used to prevent violence in the world today.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that psychopathy is an extremely complex subcategory of a specific personality disorder, which has been researched since approximately the 18th century. modern technology can detect it by examining the human brain using different techniques.
- Explains that lombroso's theory of the "criminal mind" has been discounted, but the case of phineas gage in 1848 was the first evidence that prefrontal cortex damage in the brain can change different aspects of personality traits.
- Compares the somatic marker hypothesis of damasio and the violence inhibition mechanism of blair.
- Explains that psychopathy is a subtype of an additional personality disorder known as aspd.
- Explains that psychopathy is characterized by the excessive lack of grey matter in the anterior rostral prefrontal cortex and temporal poles of the brain.
- Explains that psychopaths act in cold blood because of the lack of empathy and are considerate to what they want and/or need. this brain disorder is common among drug dealers, spouse and child abusers, gang members, and cult leaders.
- Explains that raine and colleagues (2004) have studied two different kinds of psychopaths: the unsuccessful and the successful. the hippocampus in the brain is essential for long term memory.
- Explains that psychopaths tend to commit violent crimes at an earlier age. once released from jail, their probability of committing more criminal activities is high. jack abbott stabbed an innocent man to death.
- Explains that sociopaths are hereditary and passed down from genes, whereas a psychopath is more of an affect of environmental situations.
- Explains that damage to the frontal cortex is associated with aggressive behavior since the case of phineas gage.
- Explains that the hare psychopathy checklist (pcl) and the psychopathy checklist-revised are considered the "gold standard" for measuring psychopathic behavior.
- Explains the procedures approved by new jersey department of corrections, the new york university institutional review board (irb) and nyu special committee on prison research.
- Explains that mri is the most affective procedure in determining whether a person suffers from psychopathy, but there are other studies and procedures to decipher this.
- Explains that slapping the patient's hands to localize brain regions involving pain was used to determine whether or not an individual suffers from psychopathy.
- Recommends that psychopathic tests be done every day to lower the risk of violent crimes such as murder and rape. those who have careers in the fbi, the police department, or any medical field positions should be tested using the pcl-sv.
2850 wordsRead More - Without Conscience: Book Reportopinionated essayIdentifying the mystery of the psychopath can prove to help the them and the general public. Early awareness of the common psychopaths among us will reduce the impact on society. Further research is still needed to better help the psychopath and the general population.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that psychopaths need to be aware of the common ones that do not kill but steal, manipulate, and use people with no remorse.
- Explains that dr. hares wrote the book because of the increase number of psychopaths effecting the general population as white-collar criminals.
- Opines that identifying the mystery of the psychopath can prove to help them and the general public.
- Evaluates dr. robert hare's non-fiction book, "without conscience: the disturbing world of the psychopaths among us".
- Explains how dr. hare developed the psychopathy checklist for people to diagnose psychopathy.
1626 wordsRead More - Psychopathy Effects Military Sexual Assaultexplanatory essayPsychopathy is defined as personality disorder, characterized by enduring anti-social behavior, and less capacity for empathy and have poor behavioral control (Benning, 2005). The term is originated to describe diverse range of dysfunctional or antisocial behavior and mental and sexual deviances. Psychopaths are usually aggressive and are incapable of having empathetic behavior (Fileds, 1996). Psychopaths are usually responsible for crime and violence and are expected to adopt more rebellion behavior after serving their sentences. According to researchers in the past, psychopaths are difficult to change as they have been genetically determined. It is very difficult to suggest treatment for psychopaths, as they have been born with these traits and incapable to overcome the disorder. The wide array of educational field evolved in the history of mankind has helped them to live a contended and better life. In the field of human psychology there were made remarkable efforts to address the mental issues of people going through different stages o...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that psychopathy has an impact or an effect on military sexual assault. the study eligibility criteria are the characteristics of military sex offenders and psychopaths.
- Explains that psychopathy is characterized by enduring anti-social behavior, less capacity for empathy, and poor behavioral control. psychopaths are aggressive and incapable of empathetic behavior.
- Describes schema therapy, a form of psychotherapy developed to treat the patient of personality disorder and those who show high resistance.
- Explains that the international classification of diseases is one of the most long-standing diagnostic classifications of mental and physical disorders. patent adopts insensitive behavior and avoids people.
- Explains that anti-social personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of the rights of others occurring since 15 years of age. these patients adopt abnormal behavior and are willing to involve in physical assault.
- Explains the treatment of patients with psychopathic disorder can take place in a variety of in-patient settings, including special hospitals, regional secure units, intensive psychiatric care units, and conventional hospitals. physical treatment includes behavior therapy and cognitive therapy, individual or group therapy.
- Explains that behavior therapy is recommended to encounter maladaptive behavior of patients. it is associated with the interaction of environment, rather than disturbances in mental processes.
- Explains that this therapy is designed to face the challenge of renewing the thought process of the clients who possess with ruthless, hardheaded ideas against self-defeating traits and performances.
- Explains the concept of cognitive-behavioral therapy, which is based on the assumption that psychological disorder involves dysfunctional thinking.
- Explains that the process of therapy is educational and cannot be fully executed in a closed environment of office. home-based assignments enable the client to differentiate and confront the irrational thought with that of rational thinking and find alternatives to develop positive approach toward problem solving.
- Describes the therapeutic process, which is based on how client change rather than diagnosing and treating the problem.
- Explains that adler uses the technique to assess projective memories of the client whether based on true incident is fictional. this will help in getting information regarding clients' goals, feelings, inferiority complexes, level for appreciation, feeling for community and style of life.
- Explains that socratic questioning is applied in the middle stages of therapy. the technique is to underpin the private logic, hidden feelings, and unconscious goals of the client.
- Explains that guided imagery can be used therapeutically to change the undesirable traces of childhood family members that entails to enduring feelings of guilt, fear, and resentment.
- Opines that psychopathy has no impact/effect on military sexual assault. the us military is considered one of the true examples of racial integration in american society.
- Analyzes how the tough and regimented routine influences the mental wellbeing of soldiers. the strict routine makes them feel lonely and deprived from their basic need, and the sexual frustration is directly linked with the time spent away from home.
- Explains that the u.s military is one of the exemplary institutions of equality, yet there are some issues that came in limelight in recent years.
- Describes schema therapy, a form of psychotherapy developed to treat the patient of personality disorder and those patient who show high resistance.
- Explains that patients are guided to communicate their emotions and the motive is accomplished through language of ‘schema modes’. schema mode refers to emotional state where patient is generally intimidating, aggressive or manipulative
- Explains that the process of therapy is educational and can't be fully executed in a closed environment of office, so the client is given home-based assignments for positive distraction.
- Concludes that psychopaths have a strong impact on military sexual assault. psychotherapy is the most effective way of counseling these individuals.
- Cites baaz, stern, and beck, j. s. (2011). cognitive behavior therapy: basics and beyond.
- Explains blair, j., blair k. and mitchell, d. (2005). the psychopath.
2368 wordsRead More - Personality Disorder And Antisocial Personality Disorderexplanatory essayTwo Greek words: ‘psyche’ (soul or mind) and ‘pathy’ (suffering or disease), were combined in the 19th century by German Psychiatrists, to form a word that would describe the most dangerous and violent of all humans. Psychopathy, today, is called ‘mental disorder’, the study of which is still known as psychopathology. Other relating terms like 'constitutional (inborn) psychopaths' or 'psychopathic personalities' were used through the early 20th century to cover anyone socially undesirable in any way or those who violated legal laws and moral expectations.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that under the antisocial personality disorders (aspd), sociopathy and psychopathy were listed by the american psychiatric association in 2013.
- Explains that antisocial personality disorder is a dsm-5 diagnosis assigned to individuals who violate the rights of others without any sign of guilt or remorse.
- Distinguishes sociopath from psychopath in its origin. sociopathy is rooted in environmental causes, while psychopathy is genetically based.
- Explains the disregard for and violation of others rights since age 15, as indicated by one of the seven sub features.
- Explains that failure to follow the laws and norms by associating in behavior which can result in criminal arrest.
- Explains that the antisocial behavior is not due to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
- Defines sociopath as an individual who has no conscience and is antisocial. the word'sociopath' touches people on an intellectual and emotional level, often evoking dark feelings and making people shudder.
- Explains that a psychopath doesn't feel moral qualms, even if he lies to steal your money. he may observe others and act like they do.
- Explains that sociopaths have a conscience, but it's weak. he may know that taking your money is wrong, and he might feel guilt or remorse but that won't stop his behavior.
- Explains that psychopaths are intelligent, appealing, and good at copying emotions seen from others. they pretend to care and may even act like they are there for you.
- Explains that psychopathy, today, is called ‘mental disorder’, the study of which is still known as psychopathology.
- Explains that psychopaths are social predators who allure, manipulate and brutally plow their way through life, leaving a broad trail of broken hearts, crushed expectations, and drained wallets. they selfishly take what they want, violating social laws and expectations without the least sense of remorse or regret.
- Explains that ted bundy, a handsome man with an attractive personality, was an important topic of discussion in this field.
- Explains that sherlock holmes is the most well-known, beloved and obvious high-functioning sociopath from fiction. he is prone to anger when people cannot keep up with his fast-paced brain, is never able to make his relationships work, and does not seem to care for social regard.
- Explains that sociopaths are socially awkward and don't care about others. the term "psychopath" was first used in 1900 to describe patients with moral depravity or moral insanity.
1722 wordsRead More - Psychopaths Essayopinionated essayMelanie Lukic English 10 5/22/14 About 1.6% or so of the US population can be described as potentially psychopathic. Some people cut to the conclusion and determine that misunderstood kids are potentially psychopaths. Identifying a child as a psychopath is not developmentally appropriate. The label “psychopath” cannot be placed on a child who is developing emotionally, mentally, or physically. Children who have mental disorders are often interpreted as psychopaths and awful people but they are not, they’re just misconceived.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that 1.6% of the us population can be described as potentially psychopathic. they conclude that misunderstood kids are potentially psychopaths.
- Opines that children should not be considered psychopaths because of child development. this child is developing and is starting to act older than he really is to prove his point.
- Opines that a developing child can not calm down on command because they would not understand what it means to ‘calm down’ or ‘be quiet’.
- Opines that if adults would teach children these life tips then they would have a healthier outlook on life and can develop better.
- Argues that children should not be considered psychopaths by referring to experimental children. absent fathers and slacking mothers may be the problem in today's society.
- Explains that children should not be considered psychopaths because of parental problems, whether it is inadequate parenting or abusive and neglectful parents.
- Defines a psychopath as someone suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. a child's brain is finished developing way past their teenage years. parents did not teach their children proper respect and lacked parenting skills.
943 wordsRead More - Primal Fear Essayanalytical essayThe term was introduced in attempt to operationalize psychopathy which was used in the 19th century. According to the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, British Psychological Society, and Royal College of Psychiatrists (2010), Emil Kraepelin a German psychiatrist created the classification for personality disorders in 1905. In 1923, Kurt Schneider classified psychopathy as a personality disorder. In these times individuals with psychopathic personalities were those who had abnormalities and suffered from them (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health et al., 2010). It wasn’t until 1939 that the foundation of the term antisocial personality disorder was defined by David Henderson a Scottish psychiatrist. National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health et al (2010) states that he defined it as “individuals with ‘psychopathic states’ as those who conform to a certain intellectual standard but who throughout their lives exhibit disorders of conduct of an antisocial or a social nature” (P. 15). The DSM-I classified this disorder as sociopathy but was then termed antisocial personality disorder in the DSM- II from 1968 and
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how film can be used to understand and visualize how mental disorders may affect one's life.
- Analyzes how aaron stampler was an alter boy from kentucky who appeared to have a severe stutter. he was accused of brutally killing the archbishop, who took him in after finding him homeless.
- Analyzes how stampler's character provides a provisional diagnosis of 301.7 antisocial personality disorder. he knowingly continues to lie about having two personalities separated by lost in time and amnesia.
- Analyzes how stampler is repeatedly aggressive when his roy character is in performance and he has no regard for the rights of others.
- Opines that a differential diagnosis is important in order to accurately diagnose clients. stampler's behaviors were not just criminal behaviors but were accompanied by antisocial traits.
- Suggests asking questions about stampler's childhood and adolescent behaviors to confirm his diagnosis and identify whether his behavioral characteristics fall into one of the four categories of aggression to people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness, or serious violation of rules.
- Explains that antisocial personality disorder was introduced in 1980 by the american psychiatric association to operationalize psychopathy in the 19th century.
- Explains that antisocial personality disorder was viewed through the lens of societal attitudes about civil liberties and criminal justice. in the 1800s, individuals who committed repugnant crimes were considered insane.
- Explains that the film "primal fear" was developed in 1996 but was based on a novel written in 1993. antisocial personality disorder was already included in the dsm.
1633 wordsRead More - Psychopaths and the Future of Humanityanalytical essayI first encountered the idea of a psychopath in Thomas Harris' thriller, the Silence of Lambs. Hannibal Lecter was deeply fascinating, and all the more frightening because he didn't look like a grotesque monster, a violent & bloodthirsty beast. Instead, it's a charming and intelligent character with a doctorate in psychology. His possible existence forced me to reflect, and sound the depths of darkness within. However, psychopaths remained only a curiosity until this quarter, when I encountered the idea of psychopaths again in the works of moral philosophers.
In this essay, the author
- Summarizes the main arguments of nichols and kenneth regarding the danger that psychopaths pose to moral reasoning.
- Analyzes nichols' argument that psychopaths support sentimentalism, rather than empirical rationalism. kenneth's argument is that philosophers get carried away with the implications of the data and overstate their case.
- Analyzes the psychopathy checklist developed by psychiatrist robert hare, which predicts that about one percent of the population fits the profile of psychopath.
- Proposes an eliminative materialism that does away with all spooky notions that have steadily contributed to the dustbin of history.
1460 wordsRead More - Predatory Violence: A Modest Proposalexplanatory essayPsychopaths are different than their common criminal counterparts because they live a parasitic lifestyle, are often charming, apathetic, and may have average to above average intelligence. Psychopaths, or predators, usually impress others as friendly, outgoing, likeable, and alert. They appear to be well educated and knowledgeable. Predators can be verbally skillful and can talk themselves out of trouble. Psychopaths exhibit arrogance and are selfish, self-centered, and self-motivated to secure their own self-interests (DeLisi, 2009). Psychopaths, like life-course persistent offenders, start offending at a young age as persistent and versatile
In this essay, the author
- Explains that predatory violence is different from general offending because it is planned, not impulsive, and the predator usually feels a sense of accomplishment.
- Opines that predatory/serial offending resembles a psychopath. these traits include difficulties in processing fear and sadness of others, insensitivity to punishment, grandiosity, narcissism, superficial charm, lying and manipulation,
- Explains that general offending is characterized by impulsivity, inability to delay gratification, low self-control, lack of forethought, below average iq, opportunistic, and emotional hyperactivity.
- Explains that predators are biologically different and can be dangerous compared to the common criminal. predatory violence is planned and purposeful with variable goals, primarily cognitive.
- Explains that predators are psychopaths who take time to plan. predatory violence involves targeting strategies and a specific type of victim.
- Explains that psychopaths are different from their common criminal counterparts because they live a parasitic lifestyle, are charming, and may have average to above average intelligence.
- Explains that predatory violence differs from other forms of violence because it is the intention to do harm to another, or a willingness to actively seek out and injure another person.
447 wordsRead More - The Multiplexity Of Psychopathyexplanatory essayAt the forefront of absurdity is the question of mentality. For many years, scientists have studied the minds of psychopaths, examining the various aspects of psychopathy. They have conducted and analyzed research of the numerous bodily and mental processes, most of which relate to one another in seemingly complex ways. The multiplexity of psychopathy is so immense that, for the sake of this paper, it will analyze four of its most prominent factors – childhood-environmental, neurological, physiological, and psychological – and attempt to show the interlockings of these groups in the creation of a psychopath.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that mentality is at the forefront of absurdity. scientists have studied the minds of psychopaths, examining the numerous bodily and mental processes, most of which relate to one another in seemingly complex ways.
- Explains that psychopathy is one of the most dangerous disorders a human can acquire, both for themselves and the sake of others.
- Explains that children with psychopathic and antisocial-like tendencies display callous-unemotional behaviors throughout childhood and adolescence.
- Explains that when children are ineffectively raised and suffer maltreatment, their risk of acquiring psychopathy significantly increases. punishment that is too harsh or punished for reason not related to behavior increases a child's callous-unemotional traits.
- Explains that children from unstable homes develop unhealthy behaviors that affect their ability to form and maintain relationships with others.
- Explains that attachment to an abusive parent or caregiver contributes to the narcissistic personality of psychopaths. childhood abuse and neglect can have significant impacts on a child and make them more susceptible to developing psychopathy.
- Explains that damage to the ventromedial region of the prefrontal cortex before 16 months has been shown to significantly increase a person’s chance of developing psychopathic tendencies.
- Explains that psychopaths have an under-reactive autonomic nervous system, which coincides with theories that emphasize insensitivity to punishment or reduced capacity for fear in psychopathy.
- Opines that the most important approach to psychopathy is the psychological one. many things, psychologically, are learned in early life and can have grave impacts on a child when they become adults.
705 wordsRead More