Is violent criminal behavior a mental disorder?

[Guest guest]

Natural born killers?

By: PT Staff

Psychology Today

 

Questions whether violent criminal behavior is a mental disorder.

Research of Adrian Raine, Ph.D., who discovered that the prefrontal

cortex, the brain region behind the forehead, was less active in

murderers; Further details of the study; Implications for justice--

and for rehabilitation.

 

By: PT Staff

 

Prefrontal Cortex

 

Is violent criminal behavior a mental disorder? A University of

Southern California psychologist says yes--and he'll show you brain

scans to back up his claim.

 

Adrian Raine, Ph.D., led a team that compared brain activity in 22

murderers and 22 normal folks. Their tool of choice: the PET scan, an

imaging technique that measures the brain's utilization of glucose,

its primary fuel. The scans indicate which areas of the brain are

active--and which are lying low.

 

The researchers discovered that the prefrontal cortex, the brain

region right behind the forehead, was less active in the murderers.

Prefrontal deficiencies have been associated with a variety of

behaviors--risk taking, rule breaking, aggression, and impulsivity--

that can lead to violence.

 

But there's a catch. The murderers in the study had all pleaded not

guilty by reason of insanity. Might mental illness account for their

abnormal PET scans? No, says Raine; insanity is a legal concept, not

a medical condition. The variety of mental disorders the killers

cited in their insanity pleas do not explain their lower prefrontal

activity.

 

If further studies confirm that murderers' brains are biologically

different, does this mean that some of us are natural born killers?

Not at all. Raine, who says his own brain scan resembles that of a

man who killed 43 people, thinks that biological and environmental

factors are both essential components of violent behavior.

 

But the idea that killers' brains are different has profound

implications for justice--and for rehabilitation. Cognitive

remediation training has helped brain-injured patients recover lost

function. If such therapy is able to help violent offenders beef up

their brain to compensate for an underactive prefrontal cortex, the

changes might show up on a PET scan. Come parole time, those scans

could be far more convincing evidence of rehabilitation than a

convict's professed remorse.

 

 

Psychology Today, Jan/Feb 95

Article ID: 1362

 

Psychology Today

© Copyright 1991-2008 Sussex Publishers, LLC

115 East 23rd Street, 9th Floor,

New York, NY 10010

[Guest guest]

Absolutely NOT!rpautrey2 <rpautrey2 wrote: Natural born killers?By: PT Staff Psychology Today Questions whether violent criminal behavior is a mental disorder. Research of Adrian Raine, Ph.D., who discovered that the prefrontal cortex, the brain region behind the forehead, was less active in murderers; Further details of the study; Implications for justice--and for rehabilitation. By: PT Staff Prefrontal CortexIs violent criminal behavior a mental disorder? A University of Southern

California psychologist says yes--and he'll show you brain scans to back up his claim.Adrian Raine, Ph.D., led a team that compared brain activity in 22 murderers and 22 normal folks. Their tool of choice: the PET scan, an imaging technique that measures the brain's utilization of glucose, its primary fuel. The scans indicate which areas of the brain are active--and which are lying low.The researchers discovered that the prefrontal cortex, the brain region right behind the forehead, was less active in the murderers. Prefrontal deficiencies have been associated with a variety of behaviors--risk taking, rule breaking, aggression, and impulsivity--that can lead to violence.But there's a catch. The murderers in the study had all pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Might mental illness account for their abnormal PET scans? No, says Raine; insanity is a legal concept, not a medical condition. The

variety of mental disorders the killers cited in their insanity pleas do not explain their lower prefrontal activity.If further studies confirm that murderers' brains are biologically different, does this mean that some of us are natural born killers? Not at all. Raine, who says his own brain scan resembles that of a man who killed 43 people, thinks that biological and environmental factors are both essential components of violent behavior.But the idea that killers' brains are different has profound implications for justice--and for rehabilitation. Cognitive remediation training has helped brain-injured patients recover lost function. If such therapy is able to help violent offenders beef up their brain to compensate for an underactive prefrontal cortex, the changes might show up on a PET scan. Come parole time, those scans could be far more convincing evidence of rehabilitation than a convict's professed

remorse.Psychology Today, Jan/Feb 95Article ID: 1362 Psychology Today © Copyright 1991-2008 Sussex Publishers, LLC 115 East 23rd Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10010

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

[Guest guest]

At 03:55 PM 2/26/2008, you wrote:

Well, this article is 13 years old. I wonder if any further studies have

been done? I think, without question, some people are born

" broken " (the old nurture vs nature controversy), but natural

born killers? When people say things like this, to my mind, it takes

personal responsibility totally out of the equation.

 

Natural born killers?

By: PT Staff

Psychology Today

Questions whether violent criminal behavior is a mental disorder.

Research of Adrian Raine, Ph.D., who discovered that the prefrontal

cortex, the brain region behind the forehead, was less active in

murderers; Further details of the study; Implications for justice--

and for rehabilitation.

By: PT Staff

Prefrontal Cortex

Is violent criminal behavior a mental disorder? A University of

Southern California psychologist says yes--and he'll show you brain

scans to back up his claim.

Adrian Raine, Ph.D., led a team that compared brain activity in 22

murderers and 22 normal folks. Their tool of choice: the PET scan, an

 

imaging technique that measures the brain's utilization of glucose,

its primary fuel. The scans indicate which areas of the brain are

active--and which are lying low.

The researchers discovered that the prefrontal cortex, the brain

region right behind the forehead, was less active in the murderers.

Prefrontal deficiencies have been associated with a variety of

behaviors--risk taking, rule breaking, aggression, and impulsivity--

that can lead to violence.

But there's a catch. The murderers in the study had all pleaded not

guilty by reason of insanity. Might mental illness account for their

 

abnormal PET scans? No, says Raine; insanity is a legal concept, not

 

a medical condition. The variety of mental disorders the killers

cited in their insanity pleas do not explain their lower prefrontal

activity.

If further studies confirm that murderers' brains are biologically

different, does this mean that some of us are natural born killers?

Not at all. Raine, who says his own brain scan resembles that of a

man who killed 43 people, thinks that biological and environmental

factors are both essential components of violent behavior.

But the idea that killers' brains are different has profound

implications for justice--and for rehabilitation. Cognitive

remediation training has helped brain-injured patients recover lost

function. If such therapy is able to help violent offenders beef up

their brain to compensate for an underactive prefrontal cortex, the

changes might show up on a PET scan. Come parole time, those scans

could be far more convincing evidence of rehabilitation than a

convict's professed remorse.

Psychology Today, Jan/Feb 95

Article ID: 1362

Psychology Today

© Copyright 1991-2008 Sussex Publishers, LLC

115 East 23rd Street, 9th Floor,

New York, NY 10010

[Guest guest]

Lynn Ward <lynnward wrote:>

> Well, this article is 13 years old. I wonder if

> any further studies have been done? I think,

> without question, some people are born " broken "

> (the old nurture vs nature controversy), but

> natural born killers? When people say things like

> this, to my mind, it takes personal

> responsibility totally out of the equation.

 

They way I read the article the author said his own brain scanned as a

killer, but he is not one. I think that was just a catchy title to get

people to read it.

 

As far as taking personal responsibility, these types of articles are

talking about those where that function is " broken " . Being born that

way is just one of many reasons. Brain damage can also be due to diet,

physical or psychic trauma, or exposure to toxins. The current

vaccination schedule is causing brain damage. One in 5 children now

suffer from behavior or learning disorders. Unbelievable! When are we

going to hold the perpetrators of this responsible? Children with

dyslogic syndrome " cannot be taught, disciplined or guided into normal

behavior. "

 

For those interested, here's some NEW info from a segment of an

article I just turned in for publication in my March column at

Children of the New Earth Online http://tinyurl.com/asfgm

Just scroll down the middle to find the link, Feb. is online right

now. Karen

 

[quoting me]

Dyslogic Syndrome – ... Here's a brand new book … Dyslogic Syndrome:

Why Millions of Kids are `Hyper', Attention-Disordered, Learning

Disabled, Depressed, Aggressive, Defiant, or Violent – and What We Can

Do About It. " From the brilliantly inquisitive mind of one of the

world's foremost research psychologists, Dr. Bernard Rimland, comes

this straightforward, meticulously researched explanation of and lucid

plan of action for dyslogic disorders. A must read for parents,

educators, physicians, politicians and legal practitioners. "

http://tinyurl.com/2cs7k2

 

Crime Times – This short article,

http://www.crimetimes.org/03c/w03cp3.htm, from Crime Times magazine

explains that " dyslogic syndrome " in children is caused by damaged or

malfunctioning brains. These children cannot be taught, disciplined or

guided into normal behavior. They exhibit a set of aberrant behaviors

caused by factors such as " gene flaws, toxic exposure, nutrient

deficiencies, prematurity, and overt brain defects. " It is not

" failures in nurturing or discipline [that] cause children to become

robbers, rapists, or murderers. " Proper diagnosis and treatment will

help society far more than blaming dyslogic behaviors on bad

parenting. Scrolling through the subject index at

http://www.autismwebsite.com/crimetimes (this location does not

include 2007 and 2008 quarterly issues) you'll find a plethora of

short and easy to read summaries of scientific studies on the brain

dysfunctions that lead to disordered, criminal, and psychopathic

behavior and the proven treatment methods. For instance, a French

study shows a " combination of vitamin B6 and magnesium can markedly

reduce the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

… " Another study shows food and drink with additives and colorings can

markedly degrade children's behavior. And a notable quote from Crime

Times …

 

Diet and Violent Behavior – " Having a bad diet is now a better

predictor of future violence than past violent behavior. In fact,

predicting future criminal behavior from a criminal past has

statistically little better than a random chance of being correct.

Likewise, a diagnosis of psychopathy, generally perceived as being a

better predictor than a criminal past, is still miles behind what you

can predict just from looking at what a person eats. " — Researcher

Bernard Gesch, author of a landmark study on diet and criminal

behavior, quoted by Pat Thomas in The Ecologist, April 2006

[Guest guest]

At 07:48 PM 2/26/2008, you wrote:

Unless it's something really obvious, people don't like to hear that a

kid might be broken from the beginning. I was actually thinking of some

of the children who had mothers who did drugs and/or alcohol while

pregnant. Often, people don't know how broken they are, until they

get older. It's a shame. And, sometimes, no matter what you try to teach

a kid, o matter how well fed, etc., the damage done in utero is

irreparable.

But, I also think, that many today try to point the finger and say,

" it's not his or her fault. " It was their environment. The

abuse. Whatever. Those are the ones I was thinking of. Where one makes

choices - to rob or not to rob. To use a gun or not. To do drugs or not.

To kill or not kill. Despite what may or may not have happened, many

choose the wrong thing. And, some don't. Some may not know the difference

internally, but they do know what behavior is considered acceptable in

society. At some point, I'm not even sure it's important to internalize

it - for those with the appropriate cognitive abilities, the mores of the

society in which they live are well known. I know, unfortunately, from

personal experience that no matter what you do, some kids are simply

broken, and will not be successful in life. Sad, but true. I've also seen

kids, who've had every raw break you can get, including being ADHD, with

severe behavior disorders, abuse and on and on, be successful. Maybe not

Chairman of the board, but successful: complete school, hold a job - and

not wind up in jail. I have no clue what is within one child versus

another that makes one be successful and the other not. I wish I did.

But, I do know, that regardless of the disability, it is important to

hold a child accountable for their actions (as much as can be

expected).

I disagree with the statement that " dyslogic syndrome children

cannot be taught, disciplined or guided into normal behavior. "

According to Dr. Bernard Rimland, , Dyslogical children are commonly

labelled as having one or more of a mix of conditions that include

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Bipolar

Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I am the adoptive mother of 7

special needs kids, and have been the foster mother of perhaps a dozen

more. All special needs. All mental or psychological or brain type. It is

simply not true that children with these disorders " cannot be

taught, disciplined, or guided into normal behavior. " I had more

than one kid with some of the above disorders.

We got my youngest son when he was 3. We were his 6th home. Do you know

how unusual it is for a kid that young to go from home to home? He was

very difficult. Very. He had ADHD, Conduct disorder, Oppositional Defiant

Disorder, and some the names of which I don't even remember right now.

When he got very upset, angry, I had to physically restrain him so he

wouldn't hurt anyone. But, he COULD be taught. He COULD be disciplined,

and learned how, most of the time, to behave in a manner acceptable.

Behave so he could go to a store, go to school, and go to church. I'm not

going to say it was easy - it wasn't. It was incredibly difficult and

time-consuming, and in some ways, took away from the other children

because he needed so much attention. But, he would go to school just like

all the other kids. Rode the bus. Did homework. Helped around the house.

And would pick me tiny flowers he saw in the grass.

So, regardless of what " experts " say, kids like him CAN learn.

I wonder how many of these " experts " have actually had personal

experience? From my experience, not many. Not many at all. It's mostly

theoretical.

Lynn

Lynn Ward <lynnward

wrote:>

> Well, this article is 13 years old. I wonder if

> any further studies have been done? I think,

> without question, some people are born " broken "

> (the old nurture vs nature controversy), but

> natural born killers? When people say things like

> this, to my mind, it takes personal

> responsibility totally out of the equation.

They way I read the article the author said his own brain scanned as

a

killer, but he is not one. I think that was just a catchy title to

get

people to read it.

As far as taking personal responsibility, these types of articles

are

talking about those where that function is " broken " . Being born

that

way is just one of many reasons. Brain damage can also be due to

diet,

physical or psychic trauma, or exposure to toxins. The current

vaccination schedule is causing brain damage. One in 5 children now

suffer from behavior or learning disorders. Unbelievable! When are

we

going to hold the perpetrators of this responsible? Children with

dyslogic syndrome " cannot be taught, disciplined or guided into

normal

behavior. "

For those interested, here's some NEW info from a segment of an

article I just turned in for publication in my March column at

Children of the New Earth Online

http://tinyurl.com/asfgm

Just scroll down the middle to find the link, Feb. is online right

now. Karen

[quoting me]

Dyslogic Syndrome – ... Here's a brand new book … Dyslogic Syndrome:

Why Millions of Kids are `Hyper', Attention-Disordered, Learning

Disabled, Depressed, Aggressive, Defiant, or Violent – and What We

Can

Do About It. " From the brilliantly inquisitive mind of one of

the

world's foremost research psychologists, Dr. Bernard Rimland, comes

this straightforward, meticulously researched explanation of and

lucid

plan of action for dyslogic disorders. A must read for parents,

educators, physicians, politicians and legal practitioners. "

http://tinyurl.com/2cs7k2

Crime Times – This short article,

 

http://www.crimetimes.org/03c/w03cp3.htm, from Crime Times

magazine

explains that " dyslogic syndrome " in children is caused by

damaged or

malfunctioning brains. These children cannot be taught, disciplined

or

guided into normal behavior. They exhibit a set of aberrant

behaviors

caused by factors such as " gene flaws, toxic exposure, nutrient

deficiencies, prematurity, and overt brain defects. " It is not

" failures in nurturing or discipline [that] cause children to

become

robbers, rapists, or murderers. " Proper diagnosis and treatment

will

help society far more than blaming dyslogic behaviors on bad

parenting. Scrolling through the subject index at

 

http://www.autismwebsite.com/crimetimes (this location does not

include 2007 and 2008 quarterly issues) you'll find a plethora of

short and easy to read summaries of scientific studies on the brain

dysfunctions that lead to disordered, criminal, and psychopathic

behavior and the proven treatment methods. For instance, a French

study shows a " combination of vitamin B6 and magnesium can

markedly

reduce the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD)

… " Another study shows food and drink with additives and colorings

can

markedly degrade children's behavior. And a notable quote from Crime

Times …

Diet and Violent Behavior – " Having a bad diet is now a better

predictor of future violence than past violent behavior. In fact,

predicting future criminal behavior from a criminal past has

statistically little better than a random chance of being correct.

Likewise, a diagnosis of psychopathy, generally perceived as being a

better predictor than a criminal past, is still miles behind what

you

can predict just from looking at what a person eats. " —

Researcher

Bernard Gesch, author of a landmark study on diet and criminal

behavior, quoted by Pat Thomas in The Ecologist, April 2006

[Guest guest]

There is a genetic basis for a disorder that accounts for some of the violent criminal behavior, but this doesn't necessarily mean it refers to all criminal behavior, on the contrary, it accounts for a minor percentage of criminal behavior. This group of people have a perfect mask of sanity, they don't have conscience and they are not necessarily criminals.At least 3 terms continue to be mixed up and misinterpreted. Perhaps a quote from Robert Hare's book, "Without Conscience", will provide some clarity:[begin quote]Sometimes the term sociopathy is used because it is less likely than is psychopathy to be confused with psychoticism or insanity.Some clinicians and researchers, as well as most sociologists and criminologists- who believe that the syndrome is forged entirely by social forces and early experiences prefer the term sociopath, whereas those- who feel that psychological, biological, and genetic factors also contribute to development of the syndrome generally use the term psychopath. [...]A term that was supposed to have much the same meaning as "psychopath" or "sociopath" is antisocial personality disorder (APD), described in the 3rd edition of the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III, 1980)[...]The diagnostic criteria for APD consist primarily of a long list of antisocial and criminal behaviors. When the list first appeared it was felt that the average clinician could not reliably assess personality traits such as empathy, egocentricity, guilt, and so forth. Diagnosis therefore was based on what clinicians presumably could assess without difficulty, namely objective, socially deviant behaviors. The result has been confusion with many clinicians mistakenly assuming that APD and psychopathy are synonymous terms.[end quote]So, APD refers primarily to criminal and antisocial behaviors; and psychopathy refers to both personality traits and socially deviant behaviors. In other words, the majority of criminals have APD, but most criminals are not psychopaths. Let me explain this further...It was my experience with deviant people that finally brought me to the subject of psychopathy, and finally all started to make sense. Before, I was trying to save someone who could not even be saved so to speak, the stress that he provoked me was making me miserable and my health was progressively deteriorating. I was projecting all kinds of struggles into a person, that didn't gave a damn to begin with. The key point is that psychopathy is genetically based and that there is a lot of confusion with the clinical terms. Criminal behavior does not equal psychopathy. In fact, 7-8 out of 10 people in jail, are NOT psychopaths. Some people prefer to use the term "sociopath", because Hollywood among others had loaded the word psychopath with a lot of stereotypes "a la Hannibal Lecter". But a psychopath is not exclusively a serial killer (like the guy in "No Country for Old Man"). In fact, it is much more subtle, some clear examples can be found in your own government and in CEO s of Big Pharma!!! Martha Stout's book introduction has a good synopsis of the psychopathy traits, unfortunately she uses the term sociopath where actually psychopath would be more appropriate This is so because it has a genetic basis, it is not something that society provokes, although society might play a role in how it manifests. To put just one practical example: some psychopaths already were killing cute little animals when they

were kids just for the fun of it, even if

they were raised in healthy environments were compassionate values were emphasized. Anyway, here is an excerpt of Martha Stout's book introduction: [begin quote]Imagine - if you can - not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken.And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools.Now add to this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people that your psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Since everyone simply assumes that conscience is universal among human beings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearly effortless.You are not held back from any of your desires by guilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for your cold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, so completely outside of their personal experience, that they seldom even guess at your condition.In other words, you are completely free of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just as you please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible to the world.You can do anything at all, and still your strange advantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences will most likely remain undiscovered.How will you live your life?What will you do with your huge and secret advantage, and with the corresponding handicap of other people (conscience)?The answer will depend largely on just what your desires happen to be, because people are not all the same. Even the profoundly unscrupulous are not all the same. Some people - whether they have a conscience or not - favor the ease of inertia, while others are filled with dreams and wild ambitions. Some human beings are brilliant and talented, some are dull-witted, and most, conscience or not, are somewhere in between. There are violent people and nonviolent ones, individuals who are motivated by blood lust and those who have no such appetites. [...]Provided you are not forcibly stopped, you can do anything at all.If you are born at the right time, with some access to family fortune, and you have a special talent for whipping up other people's hatred and sense of deprivation, you can arrange to kill large numbers of unsuspecting people. With enough money, you can accomplish this from far away, and you can sit back safely and watch in satisfaction. [...]Crazy and frightening - and real, in about 4 percent of the population....The prevalence rate for anorexic eating disorders is estimated a 3.43 percent, deemed to be nearly epidemic, and yet this figure is a fraction lower than the rate for antisocial personality. The high-profile disorders classed as schizophrenia occur in only about 1 percent of [the population] - a mere quarter of the rate of antisocial personality - and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that the rate of colon cancer in the United States, considered "alarmingly high," is about 40 per 100,000 - one hundred times lower than the rate of antisocial personality.The high incidence of sociopathy in human society has a profound effect on the rest of us who must live on this planet, too, even those of us who have not been clinically traumatized. The individuals who constitute this 4 percent drain our relationships, our bank accounts, our accomplishments, our self-esteem, our very peace on earth.Yet surprisingly, many people know nothing about this disorder, or if they do, they think only in terms of violent psychopathy - murderers, serial killers, mass murderers - people who have conspicuously broken the law many times over, and who, if caught, will be imprisoned, maybe even put to death by our legal system.We are not commonly aware of, nor do we usually identify, the larger number of nonviolent sociopaths among us, people who often are not blatant lawbreakers, and against whom our formal legal system provides little defense.Most of us would not imagine any correspondence between conceiving an ethnic genocide and, say, guiltlessly lying to one's boss about a coworker. But the psychological correspondence is not only there; it is chilling. Simple and profound, the link is the absence of the inner mechanism that beats up on us, emotionally speaking, when we make a choice we view as immoral, unethical, neglectful, or selfish.Most of us feel mildly guilty if we eat the last piece of cake in the kitchen, let alone what we would feel if we intentionally and methodically set about to hurt another person.Those who have no conscience at all are a group unto themselves, whether they be homicidal tyrants or merely ruthless social snipers.The presence or absence of conscience is a deep human division, arguably more significant than intelligence, race, or even gender.What differentiates a sociopath who lives off the labors of others from one who occasionally robs convenience stores, or from one who is a contemporary robber baron - or what makes the difference between an ordinary bully and a sociopathic murderer - is nothing more than social status, drive, intellect, blood lust, or simple opportunity.What distinguishes all of these people from the rest of us is an utterly empty hole in the psyche, where there should be the most evolved of all humanizing functions. [Martha Stout, Ph.D., The Sociopath Next Door, end quote]The best books available in this area, are Robert Hare's "Without Conscience", Martha Stout's "Sociopath Next Door" and Paul Babiak/Robert Hare's "Snakes in Suits". Also "Mask of Sanity" by Hervey Cleckley, its a classic (available on line, google: Mask of Sanity by Hervey Cleckley PDF - book download). There are also plenty of references in scientific journals and a considerable amount of websites. Here are a few useful links:http://www.friedgreentomatoes.org/articles_index.php (with LOTS of articles and references that explain main concepts), http://friedgreentomatoes.org/ is a source for victims.http://saferelationships.com/http://www.geocities.com/lycium7/psychopathy.htmlThe Trick of the Psychopath's Trade: Make Us Believe that Evil Comes from Others

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/148141-The-Trick-of-the-Psychopath-s-Trade-Make-Us-Believe-that-Evil-Comes-from-Others

Neurobiological basis of psychopathyhttp://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/182/1/5Early Signs of Psychopathyhttp://personalitydisorders.suite101.com/article.cfm/early_signs_of_antisocial_personalPsychopathy and Corporationshttp://www.cqs.com/psycho.htm-------------best, navegante

[Guest guest]

>I think, without question, some people are born "broken" (the old >nurture vs nature controversy)There is a genetic basis for a disorder that accounts for some of theviolent criminal behavior, but this doesn't necessarily mean it refersto all criminal behavior, on the contrary, it accounts for a minorpercentage of criminal behavior. This group of people have a perfectmask of sanity, they don't have conscience and they are not necessarilycriminals.At least 3 terms continue to be mixed up andmisinterpreted. Perhaps a quote from Robert Hare's book, "WithoutConscience", will provide some clarity:Sometimesthe term sociopathy is used because it is less likely than ispsychopathy to be confused with psychoticism or insanity. Someclinicians and researchers, as well as most sociologists andcriminologists- who believe that the syndrome is forged entirely bysocial forces and early experiences prefer the term sociopath, whereasthose- who feel that psychological, biological, and genetic factorsalso contribute to development of the syndrome generally use the termpsychopath. [...] A term that was supposed to have much thesame meaning as "psychopath" or "sociopath" is antisocial personalitydisorder (APD), described in the 3rd edition of the AmericanPsychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of MentalDisorders (DSM III, 1980)[...] The diagnostic criteria for APDconsist primarily of a long list of antisocial and criminal behaviors.When the list first appeared it was felt that the average cliniciancould not reliably assess personality traits such as empathy,egocentricity, guilt, and so forth. Diagnosis therefore was based onwhat clinicians presumably could assess without difficulty, namelyobjective, socially deviant behaviors. The result has been confusionwith many clinicians mistakenly assuming that APD and psychopathy aresynonymous terms.So, APD refers primarily to criminaland antisocial behaviors; and psychopathy refers to both personalitytraits and socially deviant behaviors. In other words, the majority ofcriminals have APD, but most criminals are not psychopaths. Let meexplain this further...It was my experience with deviant peoplethat finally brought me to the subject of psychopathy, and finally allstarted to make sense. Before, I was trying to save someone who couldnot even be saved so to speak, the stress that he provoked me wasmaking me miserable and my health was progressively deteriorating. Iwas projecting all kinds of struggles into a person, that didn't gave adamn to begin with. The key point is that psychopathy is geneticallybased and that there is a lot of confusion with the clinical terms.Criminal behavior does not equal psychopathy. In fact, 7-8 out of 10people in jail, are NOT psychopaths. Some people prefer to use the term"sociopath", because Hollywood among others had loaded the wordpsychopath with a lot of stereotypes "a la Hannibal Lecter". But apsychopath is not exclusively a serial killer (like the guy in "NoCountry for Old Man"). In fact, it is much more subtle, some clearexamples can be found in your own government and in CEO s of BigPharma!!! Martha Stout's book introduction has a good synopsis of thepsychopathy traits, unfortunately she uses the term sociopath whereactually psychopath would be more appropriate This is so because it hasa genetic basis, it is not something that society provokes, althoughsociety might play a role in how it manifests. To put just onepractical example: some psychopaths already were killing cute littleanimals when they were kids just for the fun of it, even if they wereraised in healthy environments were compassionate values wereemphasized. Anyway, here is an excerpt of Martha Stout's bookintroduction:Imagine - if you can - not having aconscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter whatyou do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers,friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not asingle one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy,harmful, or immoral action you had taken. And pretend that theconcept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden othersseem to accept without question, like gullible fools. Now addto this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people thatyour psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Sinceeveryone simply assumes that conscience is universal among humanbeings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearlyeffortless. You are not held back from any of your desires byguilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for yourcold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, socompletely outside of their personal experience, that they seldom evenguess at your condition. In other words, you are completelyfree of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just asyou please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible tothe world. You can do anything at all, and still your strangeadvantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by theirconsciences will most likely remain undiscovered. How will you live your life? What will you do with your huge and secret advantage, and with the corresponding handicap of other people (conscience)? Theanswer will depend largely on just what your desires happen to be,because people are not all the same. Even the profoundly unscrupulousare not all the same. Some people - whether they have a conscience ornot - favor the ease of inertia, while others are filled with dreamsand wild ambitions. Some human beings are brilliant and talented, someare dull-witted, and most, conscience or not, are somewhere in between.There are violent people and nonviolent ones, individuals who aremotivated by blood lust and those who have no such appetites. [...] Provided you are not forcibly stopped, you can do anything at all. Ifyou are born at the right time, with some access to family fortune, andyou have a special talent for whipping up other people's hatred andsense of deprivation, you can arrange to kill large numbers ofunsuspecting people. With enough money, you can accomplish this fromfar away, and you can sit back safely and watch in satisfaction. [...] Crazy and frightening - and real, in about 4 percent of the population.... Theprevalence rate for anorexic eating disorders is estimated a 3.43percent, deemed to be nearly epidemic, and yet this figure is afraction lower than the rate for antisocial personality. Thehigh-profile disorders classed as schizophrenia occur in only about 1percent of [the population] - a mere quarter of the rate of antisocialpersonality - and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saythat the rate of colon cancer in the United States, considered"alarmingly high," is about 40 per 100,000 - one hundred times lowerthan the rate of antisocial personality. The high incidence ofsociopathy in human society has a profound effect on the rest of us whomust live on this planet, too, even those of us who have not beenclinically traumatized. The individuals who constitute this 4 percentdrain our relationships, our bank accounts, our accomplishments, ourself-esteem, our very peace on earth. Yet surprisingly, manypeople know nothing about this disorder, or if they do, they think onlyin terms of violent psychopathy - murderers, serial killers, massmurderers - people who have conspicuously broken the law many timesover, and who, if caught, will be imprisoned, maybe even put to deathby our legal system. We are not commonly aware of, nor do weusually identify, the larger number of nonviolent sociopaths among us,people who often are not blatant lawbreakers, and against whom ourformal legal system provides little defense. Most of us wouldnot imagine any correspondence between conceiving an ethnic genocideand, say, guiltlessly lying to one's boss about a coworker. But thepsychological correspondence is not only there; it is chilling. Simpleand profound, the link is the absence of the inner mechanism that beatsup on us, emotionally speaking, when we make a choice we view asimmoral, unethical, neglectful, or selfish. Most of us feelmildly guilty if we eat the last piece of cake in the kitchen, letalone what we would feel if we intentionally and methodically set aboutto hurt another person. Those who have no conscience at all area group unto themselves, whether they be homicidal tyrants or merelyruthless social snipers. The presence or absence of conscienceis a deep human division, arguably more significant than intelligence,race, or even gender. What differentiates a sociopath who livesoff the labors of others from one who occasionally robs conveniencestores, or from one who is a contemporary robber baron - or what makesthe difference between an ordinary bully and a sociopathic murderer -is nothing more than social status, drive, intellect, blood lust, orsimple opportunity. What distinguishes all of these people fromthe rest of us is an utterly empty hole in the psyche, where thereshould be the most evolved of all humanizing functions. [Martha Stout,Ph.D., The Sociopath Next Door]The best booksavailable in this area, are Robert Hare's "Without Conscience", MarthaStout's "Sociopath Next Door" and Paul Babiak/Robert Hare's "Snakes inSuits". Also "Mask of Sanity" by Hervey Cleckley, its a classic(available on line, Mask of Sanity by Hervey Cleckley PDF - book download). There are also plenty of references in scientific journals and a considerable amount of websites. Here are a few useful links:http://www.friedgreentomatoes.org/articles_index.php (with LOTS of articles and references that explain main concepts), http://friedgreentomatoes.org/ is a source for victims.http://saferelationships.com/http://www.geocities.com/lycium7/psychopathy.htmlThe Trick of the Psychopath's Trade: Make Us Believe that Evil Comes from OthersNeurobiological basis of psychopathyEarly Signs of PsychopathyPsychopathy and Corporations-------best,navegante