Abstract
Psychopathy is a serious personality disorder that first manifests itself early in life and persists throughout most of the lifespan. Most clinicians and researchers agree that psychopathy is associated with a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral characteristics, central to which are a profound lack of remorse or guilt and a callous disregard for the feelings, rights, and welfare of others (Cleckley, 1976; Hare, 1991; Tennent, Tennent, Prins, & Bedford, 1990). Individuals with this disorder are typically described as impulsive, selfish, deceitful, sensation-seeking, and irresponsible. Given these characteristics it is not surprising that psychopaths commit a disproportionate amount of serious repetitive crime and violence and frequently come into contact with the criminal justice system. Despite a substantial body of work dealing with psychopathy in adults, surprisingly little work has focused on the precursors of this disorder. Understanding the antecedents of psychopathy may lead not only to a better understanding of its etiology but also its treatment and perhaps, ultimately, its prevention.
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Forth, A.E., Burke, H.C. (1998). Psychopathy in Adolescence: Assessment, Violence, and Developmental Precursors. In: Cooke, D.J., Forth, A.E., Hare, R.D. (eds) Psychopathy: Theory, Research and Implications for Society. NATO ASI Series, vol 88. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3965-6_10
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