What Were Psychopaths Like As Children?

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry;  Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 04 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Beginning with the question of whether psychopathy is a stable disorder throughout life, the researchers attempted to trace its development back to its roots. In studying it over time, they found that child/adolescent psychopathy looks quite similar to the adult version but there did seem to be some areas of instability in the young version that could provide hope to those hoping to mitigate it before it's too late. The articles in the special issue examine many different aspects of psychopathy in the young and over time, including such variables as:

* Genetics

* Temperament

* Parenting styles

* Environment

* Internal and external symptoms

* Peer relations

"By conducting such investigations, possible points of intervention can be pinpointed in an effort to prevent early psychopathic characteristics in youth from leading to persistent deviant behaviors that have severe implications for the individual and society," write guest editors, Randall T. Salekin and John E Lochman in the introduction. "Although considerable work remains to be done, this special issue serves as a starting point, providing the groundwork for future research in this area."

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The special issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior, the official journal of The American Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology, entitled "Child and Adolescent Psychopathy: The Search for Protective Factors," and guest edited by Randall T. Salekin and John E Lochman of the University of Alabama, is available at no charge for a limited time at http://cjb.sagepub.com/content/vol35/issue2/.

SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine. A privately owned corporation, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, and Singapore. http://www.sagepublications.com/

Criminal Justice and Behavior, the monthly official publication of the American Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology (AACFP), publishes timely, well-conceived, and lively scholarship, advancing the knowledge and expertise of those involved in forensic and correctional psychology and helping them to develop successful programs based on sound and informative theoretical and research foundations. http://cjb.sagepub.com/

Source: Andrea Rulfo
SAGE Publications