IndexIntroductionBodyConclusionReferences:IntroductionIntroduction: Psychopaths are involved in all forms of crime, especially violent crime (Danka). In recent decades many researchers have dedicated themselves to the relationship between psychopathy and crime (Danka). Psychopaths engaging in criminal behavior is an inevitable occurrence that raises the question: what about psychopathy that leads to crime? Is criminal behavior simply a symptom of psychopathy, or is this criminal behavior a direct consequence of the personality characteristics of psychopathy? The topic of psychopathy has been extensively studied in recent years in the field of forensic and criminal psychology (textbook). It can also be said that psychopathy is itself a theory of crime and a key to explaining antisocial behavior (Delisi). The importance of psychopathy in society and in the criminal law system represents an important change in recent years (Danka). It is important to research psychopathy as it is not only one of the most significant personality disorders in psychology, but also a significant factor when talking about crime and its causes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Thesis Statement: The following essay will discuss the question of whether psychopathy is a predictor of criminality. To begin with, it will be outlined what psychopathy is and its characteristics. Next, the methods used to measure and diagnose psychopathy will be discussed, followed by research and data to support the essay's position. From the evidence provided below it is clear that psychopathy is a predictor of offending and, if diagnosed in the early years, can be used to predict future criminality and even recidivism. BodyContext: The notion of psychopathy was introduced in the nineteenth century by Koch and Kraeplin (Danka). Many psychological studies have highlighted that a psychopath's personality trait patterns are prone to crime (Danka). It has been stated by psychologists that psychopathy is the most important clinical construct in the criminal justice system (Walters). Assessment of psychopathy can greatly contribute to improving the understanding of psychopathy, the ability to predict it, and the management of criminal behavior (Glenn D. Walters). Topic sentence: Psychopathy is a clinical construct more commonly referred to as a personality disorder (Delisi). Evidence and Citations: This disorder is defined by a set of interpersonal, lifestyle, affective, and behavioral characteristics that lead to antisocial behavior and furthermore to criminality (Delisi). When examining the interpersonal aspect of psychopathy, characteristics such as; superficial charm, narcissism, grandiose self-esteem, pathological lying and manipulation are present (Delisi). Regarding lifestyle, psychopaths have been found to lack realistic life goals and are impulsive and irresponsible (Delisi). The affective aspect of a psychopathic personality disorder is mostly characterized by a lack of empathy, superficial emotions, callousness, inability to accept responsibility, and a lack of guilt or remorse (Delusion). They are essentially selfish, self-motivated and have only self-interest (Delisi). These characteristics, when present in the same individual, are diagnosed as psychopathy. The numerous antisocial behaviors displayed by those classified as psychopathic include; poor behavioral control, behavioral problems in early life, juvenile delinquency, criminally versatile behavior (Delisi). Psychopathy and theantisocial behavior are internally consistent (Delisi) and psychopathy can be seen not only as a clinical construct for studying criminals but also all forms of antisocial behavior (Delisi). Topic sentence: Many psychological studies find that psychopathic offenders are different from other offenders in particular psychological traits that are relevant to crime (Danka). Evidence and Citations: The type of violence displayed by psychopaths is more impartial, instrumental, and predatory than other offenders (Robert D. Hare, Ph.D). This violence is ruthless and in most cases motivated by greed, revenge, anger, punishment or money (Robert D. Hare, Ph.D). Wilson and Hernstein (1996), state that antisocial behavior is a dichotomy and divides people into two groups of psychopaths and non-psychopaths. When examining currently incarcerated individuals, the psychopathic population of these individuals is responsible for the majority of serious crimes committed each year. Psychopaths behave and commit crimes differently from non-psychopathic offenders as they have distinctive "criminal careers" related to the type and amount of anti-psychopathic behavior. social behavior they commit along with the age at which they commit it (Robert D. Hare, Ph.D). the typical "criminal career" of a psychopath is often short but extremely dedicated throughout most of adolescent and adult life to delinquent and criminal activities (Robert D. Hare, Ph.D). furthermore, they typically begin antisocial behavior and criminal activities at a young age and continue to take part in these activities throughout their lives (Robert D. Hare, Ph.D). given this information, the predictability of criminality in psychopaths is high. The prevalence of psychopathy among the general delinquent population, based on individual studies, is 15-20% in the delinquent population (H¨ akk ¨ anen-Nyholm). The defining characteristics that make a psychopath place him or her at high risk for aggression, violence, and, consequently, crime (Robert D. Hare, Ph.D). A study conducted by Hare and McPherson (1984), concluded that evidence whether psychopathy in offenders leads to an increased likelihood of violence and aggressive behavior (ANH VIEN) and essentially predicts the likelihood of criminality in psychopaths. According to Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990, self-control is the key reason behind delinquency, crime, and similar reckless behaviors such as gambling and cheating. The fact that psychopaths lack the essence of self-control theoretically means that they are prone to delinquency and criminal behavior (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990), so psychopathy is a direct predictor of crime and criminality. Topic Sentence: Doctors often use the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) to determine and diagnose psychopathy in individuals. Evidence and Citations: The PCL-R is based on interview data and a review of clinical data and consists of 20 items (Hare, 1991). These items are; casualness and/or superficial charm, grandiose sense of self-esteem, need for stimulation and/or propensity for boredom, pathological lying, cheating and/or manipulation, lack of remorse or guilt, superficial affection, insensitivity and/or lack of empathy, lifestyle parasitism, poor behavioral controls, promiscuous sexual behavior, early behavioral problems, lack of realistic long-term goals, impulsivity, irresponsibility, inability to take responsibility for one's actions, many short-term marital affairs, juvenile delinquency, revocation of parole and criminal versatility (Robert D. Hare, PhD* and Craig S. Neumann, PhD). Each item is rated on a 3-point scale, producing a scoretotal between 0 and 40. A cut-off point of 30+ is set on this checklist and so those who score above 30 (with the maximum PCL-R score being 40) are considered psychopaths and those who score lower are not (Hare, 1991, 2003). It is a very useful tool for predicting risk and recidivism (ANH VIEN). This PCL-R measure can be used to diagnose psychopathy and, in turn, predict criminality (ANH VIEN). Individuals who score above 30 will not only commit more violent and serious crimes, but are also at higher levels of risk to reoffend (ANH VIEN). Topic sentence: Psychologists define psychopathy primarily based on the characteristics of an individual that becomes the foundation of such behavior and is noticeable in the early years (Danka). Evidence and Citations: Says that by nature a psychopath is naturally inclined to commit criminal acts leading one to believe that crime is a logical outcome of psychopathy Robert Hare (1993, p.83). Psychopathy is a significant predictor of general delinquency and violent delinquency (Delisi). Juvenile delinquency among young psychopaths is a problem in many countries (Danka). It has been found that one fifth of the worst criminal offenses are committed by young offenders, the majority of whom are psychopaths (Danka). Psychopathy has the potential to explain the cause of violent conduct, and for this reason doctors and researchers are increasingly using psychopathy as a marker to identify children and adolescents who are more likely to commit violent crimes (Weir). Applied mostly only to adults, psychopathy is increasingly used to look for antisocial behavior and personality traits in adolescents and children (Delisi). It has been found that there are overlaps between psychopathy in adults and children regarding behavioral, cognitive, emotional and psychological aspects (Delisi). According to Forth, Hart, and Hare (1990), adolescents and children diagnosed with psychopathy had significantly more criminal histories, including violent crimes and institutional violence. Compared to their peers, young psychopaths showed greater signs of aggression, greater violent and nonviolent delinquency and the onset of antisocial behavior. Comment: given this premise it can be concluded that psychopathy is a predictor of crime and criminality since, if diagnosed early, psychopathic children can predict whether they will commit a crime in the future or not. Topic sentence: In a study conducted by Radulovic (2008a), a sample of 322 serious offenders (with a subsample of 209 psychopaths), found that psychopathic offenders showed greater aggression, dissociative behavior, amoral and hysterical beliefs, and a lower level of perceptual and verbal skills compared to non-psychopathic offenders. Evidence and Citations: This personality pattern found is serious and dangerous as it makes them more prone to chronic violent crime (Radulovic, 2008a). Extensive research has revealed that psychopathy is the most powerful predictor of criminal recidivism (H¨ akk ¨ anen-Nyholm). According to Hemphill, Templemann, Wong, and Hare (1998), the violent recidivism rate for psychopathic offenders is greater than 80% over a five-year period, which allows the conclusion that psychopaths are at higher levels of risk of violence future or future recurrence (ANH VIEN). Psychopathy as a risk factor for recidivism is extremely significant (Robert D. Hare, Ph.D). in a meta-analytic review Salekin, Rogers, and Sewell (1996), stated that the use of the PCL-R to predict violence was significant. With the PCL-R predicting recidivism rates in one study.