1. Psychopathy and the Law

2. Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD)
American Psychiatric Association (APA)
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
List of disorders and the criteria needed to diagnose someone
An APD diagnosis refers to individuals who habitually violate the rights of others without remorse.

3. Groups of APD Personality Traits
Acronym – LAIA
L – Lifestyle Traits
A – Antisocial Traits
I – Interpersonal Traits
A – Affective Traits

4. Lifestyle Traits Frequent impulsive behavior
Recurring pursuit of highly stimulating experiences
A pattern of unrealistic life expectations
Frequent reliance on others for financial or material support

5. Antisocial Traits Childhood behavioral disturbances
Teen or preteen delinquency (minor crime, failure to perform duty)
Involvement in criminal conduct

6. Interpersonal Traits Inflated notion of self-important
Frequent participation in manipulation or deception
Deeply ingrained pattern of lying
Superficially appealing social life

7. Pyschopathy Traits
The term psychopathy comes from the German work psychopastiche, which means “the suffering soul.”
Genetic predisposition – scarred amygdala
Difficult time forming emotional attachment to other people
Rarely feel guilt, regardless of how much they hurt others
When engaging in criminal behavior, they tend to do so in a way that minimizes risk to themselves. Plan contingencies to ensure they don’t get caught.
More likely to engage in violent behavior

8. Affective Traits Callousness towards others
Limited emotional responsiveness
Pattern of avoiding personal responsibility
No guilt or regret for their actions

9. How is APD treated?
Treatment usually does not work, however in juveniles, it is more likely to reduce the amount of crimes. (decreased recividism)
Long-term group therapy
Difficult to treat adults because of the manipulative nature of the disorder
Group-therapy often has the result of making the individual worse than before

10. Psychopathy versus Sociopathy
Similarities:
Pattern of disregarding the safety and rights of others
Deceit and manipulation
Neither is necessarily violent, although it is more likely that a person with psychopathic traits exhibits violence.
Neither can be diagnosed before the age of 18

11. Psychopathy v. Sociopathy
Differences:
Psychopathy is a FORENSIC TOOL used to describe a collection of traits based on the checklist developed by Dr. Robert Hare
Sociopathy (Antisocial Personality Disorder) is a CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS.

12. How The Law Treats APD
In general, the united states does not recognize a psychopath/sociopath defense.
In fact, the MPC clearly states that “antisocial conduct” cannot be used to qualify a person as legally insane.
However, a few states allow “psychopathy personalities” to be used for an insanity defense.
Specht v. Patterson, 386 U.S. 605 (1967) (Colorado)

14. GAME: GUESS THE PSYCHOPATH!

15. Countess Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1614)
Hungarian aristocrat – Most Famous Female Psychopath
Method of Operation:
Sought eternal beauty, so she bathed in the blood of her victims
Murdered over 600 women over 20 years
Punishment:
Because of her social status and fear of tarnishing the King’s reputation, Countess Bathory served “life imprisonment” in her castle for 4 years before her death.

17. Jeffrey Dahmer (1960-19940 1980’s Serial Killer Method of Operation:
Cannibalism and torture
Punishment:
Court found that he was NOT legally insane
Life imprisonment after being found guilty of 15 murders

19. Edward Gein (1906-1984) Farmer and Handyman – Serial Killer
Method of Operation
Exhume bodies from the graveyard in order to make furniture and a replica of his mother
Punishment
Not guilty by reason of insanity
Spent 18 years in a mental facility before he died of cancer and respiratory failure

20. Let’s see if you can identify a person with psychopathic traits in an episode of Law & Order (Season 14, Epsisode19)

21. Psychopathy vs. Sociopathy
Known to be a result of one’s environment
Negative childhood upbringing, such as physical/emotional abuse or trauma
Impulsive and erratic behavior  usually unable to hold down a long-term job or have much of a normal family life
Little regard for the risks or consequences of their actions
Remember, Psychopaths manipulate others to make sure they don’t get caught