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Signs of antisocial behaviour


Antisocial personality disorder - NHS

Personality disorders are mental health conditions that affect how someone thinks, perceives, feels or relates to others.

Antisocial personality disorder is a particularly challenging type of personality disorder characterised by impulsive, irresponsible and often criminal behaviour.

Someone with antisocial personality disorder will typically be manipulative, deceitful and reckless, and will not care for other people's feelings.

Like other types of personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder is on a spectrum, which means it can range in severity from occasional bad behaviour to repeatedly breaking the law and committing serious crimes.

Psychopaths are considered to have a severe form of antisocial personality disorder.

The Mind website has more information about signs of antisocial personality disorder

Find out more about personality disorders

Signs of antisocial personality disorder

A person with antisocial personality disorder may:

  • exploit, manipulate or violate the rights of others
  • lack concern, regret or remorse about other people's distress
  • behave irresponsibly and show disregard for normal social behaviour
  • have difficulty sustaining long-term relationships
  • be unable to control their anger
  • lack guilt, or not learn from their mistakes
  • blame others for problems in their lives
  • repeatedly break the law

A person with antisocial personality disorder will have a history of conduct disorder during childhood, such as truancy (not going to school), delinquency (for example, committing crimes or substance misuse), and other disruptive and aggressive behaviours.

Who develops antisocial personality disorder?

Antisocial personality disorder affects more men than women.

It's not known why some people develop antisocial personality disorder, but both genetics and traumatic childhood experiences, such as child abuse or neglect, are thought to play a role.

A person with antisocial personality disorder will have often grown up in difficult family circumstances. 

One or both parents may misuse alcohol, and parental conflict and harsh, inconsistent parenting are common.

As a result of these problems, social services may become involved with the child's care.

These types of difficulties in childhood will often lead to behavioural problems during adolescence and adulthood.

Effects of antisocial personality disorder

Criminal behaviour is a key feature of antisocial personality disorder, and there's a high risk that someone with the disorder will commit crimes and be imprisoned at some point in their life.

Men with antisocial personality disorder have been found to be 3 to 5 times more likely than women to misuse alcohol and drugs than those without the disorder. They also have an increased risk of dying prematurely as a result of reckless behaviour or attempting suicide.

People with antisocial personality disorder are also more likely to have relationship problems during adulthood and be unemployed and homeless.

Diagnosing antisocial personality disorder

To be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, a person will usually have a history of conduct personality disorder before the age of 15.

Antisocial personality disorder is diagnosed after rigorous detailed psychological assessment.

A diagnosis can only be made if the person is aged 18 years or older and at least 3 of the following criteria behaviours apply:

  • repeatedly breaking the law
  • repeatedly being deceitful
  • being impulsive or incapable of planning ahead
  • being irritable and aggressive
  • having a reckless disregard for their safety or the safety of others
  • being consistently irresponsible
  • lack of remorse

These signs are not part of a schizophrenic or manic episode – they're part of a person's everyday personality and behaviour.

This behaviour usually becomes most extreme and challenging during the late teens and early 20s. It may improve by the time the person reaches their 40s.

Treating antisocial personality disorder

In the past, antisocial personality disorder was thought to be a lifelong disorder, but that's not always the case and it can sometimes be managed and treated.

Evidence suggests behaviour can improve over time with therapy, even if core characteristics such as lack of empathy remain. 

But antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult types of personality disorders to treat.

A person with antisocial personality disorder may also be reluctant to seek treatment and may only start therapy when ordered to do so by a court.

The recommended treatment for someone with antisocial personality disorder will depend on their circumstances, taking into account factors such as age, offending history and whether there are any associated problems, such as alcohol or drug misuse.

The person's family and friends will often play an active role in making decisions about their treatment and care.

Sometimes, substance misuse services and social care may also need to be involved.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): management and prevention of antisocial personality disorder

Talking therapies

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is sometimes used to treat antisocial personality disorder.

It's a talking therapy that aims to help a person manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave.

Mentalisation-based therapy (MBT) is another type of talking therapy that's becoming more popular in the treatment of antisocial personality disorder.

The therapist will encourage the person to consider the way they think and how their mental state affects their behaviour.

Democratic therapeutic communities (DTC)

Evidence suggests community-based programmes can be an effective long-term treatment method for people with antisocial personality disorder, and is becoming increasingly popular in prisons.

DTC is a type of social therapy that aims to address the person's risk of offending, as well as their emotional and psychological needs.

It's based around large and small therapy groups and focuses on community issues, creating an environment where both staff and prisoners contribute to the decisions of the community.

There may also be opportunities for educational and vocational work.

The recommended length of treatment is 18 months, as there needs to be enough time for a person to make changes and put new skills into practice.

Self-motivation is another important factor for acceptance on to this type of scheme. For example, the person must be willing to work as part of a community, participate in groups, and be subject to the democratic process.

Read more about DTC and working with offenders with personality disorder on GOV.UK

Medicine

There's little evidence to support the use of medicine for treating antisocial personality disorder, but certain antipsychotic and antidepressant medicines may be helpful in some instances.

Carbamazepine and lithium may help control symptoms such as aggression and impulsive behaviour, and a class of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may improve anger and general personality disorder symptoms.

Further information

  • Personality disorders

Symptoms and Signs of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Most people consider a lack of empathy the defining feature of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), along with a disregard for other people’s rights.

But there is disagreement over whether these and other characteristics of antisocial personality disorder are a result of a person’s genetics or whether they develop as a result of a person’s environment in childhood. What is considered most likely is that in most cases, it is a combination of these factors.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging brain scans of people with antisocial personality disorder have shown differences in their brains from what is typically seen in people without a personality disorder. (1,2,3)

For example, researchers have seen abnormalities in the gray and white matter volumes in the parts of the brain related to attention, self-regulation, self-control, and resolving conflicts. (1,2) Brain scans have also revealed decreased connections among certain brain areas and abnormal organization of the brain’s network in the brains of individuals with antisocial personality disorder. (3) But to date, it is not known what leads to these differences.

While individuals with antisocial personality disorder are often referred to as sociopaths in popular culture, the American Psychiatric Association does not use that term to describe them.

Characteristics of People With Antisocial Personality Disorder

People with antisocial personality disorder are very manipulative and often successful at misleading others. They may be witty, clever, funny, and charming, and they may frequently give compliments to others. They may use this flattery to manipulate others’ emotions. (4)

People with antisocial personality disorder may also show arrogance and an inflated sense of self-confidence. They ignore the safety of others and may disregard safety for themselves as well. In addition to lying, a person with antisocial personality disorder may frequently steal and start fights. They may even derive pleasure from seeing other people experience harm or pain. They may have substance use problems as well. (4)

Men are much more likely to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder than women, but the reasons for this are not understood. (4) Two studies estimated that approximately 4.5 or 6.8 percent of men have antisocial personality disorder, and both estimated that 0. 8 percent of women have it. (5) European studies have found lower estimates, of approximately 1 to 1.3 percent in men and up to 0.2 percent in women. (5)

Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder may decrease as a person ages, particularly around their forties. (4) But this decrease does not necessarily mean the condition goes away. It may simply look different in older adults, or people who have it may learn to hide their symptoms better from others as they grow older. They may also experience a decline in mental, emotional, or physical health because of the energy spent over their lifetime opposing social norms and potentially engaging in self-destructive behavior. (6)

Antisocial personality disorder is much, much more commonly diagnosed among people in prison. Among the worldwide prison population, one study estimated that nearly half of men (47 percent) and 1 in 5 women (21 percent) have antisocial personality disorder. (5)

Common Behaviors of Those Diagnosed With Antisocial Personality Disorder

A person should not be assumed to have antisocial personality disorder unless they have received the diagnosis from a mental health professional. Still, it is possible to identify someone as having a higher likelihood of having the disorder if they frequently act to intentionally harm others and show no evidence of guilt or remorse for the harm they cause.

The following are common or possible behaviors of people with antisocial personality disorder, but showing one or more of these behaviors does not mean a person definitely has the disorder:

  • Frequently lying or otherwise tricking or deceiving others
  • Acting impulsively
  • Engaging in risky behavior that may harm themselves or others, such as frequent speeding and reckless driving
  • Flattering others to gain something
  • Intentionally inflicting physical or psychological harm on others
  • Frequently causing or getting into fights
  • Refusing to meet financial, family, or job responsibilities
  • Violating rules in public or private establishments or other social norms
  • Breaking the law, possibly to gain something they want or for the fun of it
  • Making a decision without considering whether it will harm others
  • Committing physical or sexual assault
  • Manipulating, gaslighting, or otherwise trying to control others
  • Regularly exaggerating stories, especially to make themselves look better
  • Seeking revenge for perceived wrongs against them, whether the insult is real or imagined
  • Excessively using alcohol, illegal drugs, or other substances
  • Expressing pleasure in another person’s suffering
  • Refusing to accept reasonable personal limitations

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

  1. Tang Y, Jiang W, Liao J, et al. Identifying Individuals With Antisocial Personality Disorder Using Resting-State fMRI. PLoS One. April 12, 2013.
  2. Jiang W, Liao J, Liu H, et al. Brain Structure Analysis for Patients With Antisocial Personality Disorder by MRI. Journal of Central South University. Medical Sciences. February 2015.
  3. Tang Y, Long J, Wang W, et al. Aberrant Functional Brain Connectome in People With Antisocial Personality Disorder. Scientific Reports. June 3, 2016.
  4. Antisocial Personality Disorder. MedlinePlus. September 7, 2020.
  5. Antisocial Personality Disorder: Treatment, Management and Prevention. NICE Clinical Guidelines, No. 77. National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (UK). August 2018.
  6. Holzer KJ, Vaughn MG. Antisocial Personality Disorder in Older Adults: A Critical Review. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. September 27, 2017.
  7. Conduct Disorder. MedlinePlus. January 25, 2021.
  8. Scripcaru G, Pirozynski T, Astărăstoae V, Drăghici G. Sociopathy: Genesis and Development. The Medical-Surgical Journal of the Society of Physicians and Naturalists, Iasi (Romania). January–June 1991.
  9. Humphrey JA. A Study of the Etiology of Sociopathic Behavior. Diseases of the Nervous System. September 1974.
  10. Goldstein RB, Chou SP, Saha TD, et al. The Epidemiology of Antisocial Behavioral Syndromes in Adulthood: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. January 25, 2017.

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Prevention of antisocial behavior of the younger generation

At the present stage, the problem of the health of the younger generation is one of the most urgent for modern society. Health consists of several components: mental, physical, social, moral.

Asocial behavior - behavior that is contrary to social norms and principles, acting in the form of immoral or illegal acts. In the context of the crisis of modern society and changes in moral and value attitudes, the number of adolescents prone to antisocial behavior has increased, so the problem of preventing antisocial behavior in children and adolescents is becoming increasingly important.

Successful solution of the problems of upbringing is possible only with the combined efforts of the family and other social structures. Cooperation between the school and the family should create comfortable, adequate conditions for the development of students.

Normal "healthy" behavior in a teenager implies the interaction of a teenager with society, with people around him, adequate to the needs in life and his possibility of harmonious socialization in society. Under the norm, it is customary to understand a phenomenon that has a group character. Such norms make it possible to balance the behavior of people, to lead or at least strive for harmonization between the relationships between the subjects of public life. There is a different number of norms: psychological, ethical, moral, moral, legal, social, etc. As a rule, a teenager characterized by antisocial behavior has certain personality traits: incontinence and aggressiveness; tendency to interpersonal conflicts; stubbornness; unwillingness to obey generally accepted rules of conduct; difficulties of social adaptation.

Asocial behavior of adolescents can be expressed in the following forms:

Deviant behavior (deviant behavior ) is a deviation of asocial behavior of adolescents, which is associated with a violation of social norms appropriate for the age of a teenager and established rules of behavior inherent in family and school relations . Most often it manifests itself in the form of aggression, unwillingness to learn, demonstrating one's negativity to close circle. Also, such behavior can be accompanied by leaving home, vagrancy, and even an attempt to commit suicide. Adolescents can go on a drinking binge, start taking drugs, and this behavior is also manifested in sexual actions (desire to rape).

- In antisocial acts that have already developed into some kind of a kind of stable stereotype of behavior in a teenager, entailing a violation of public order. Such behavior may go unpunished due to the absence of significant public danger or not reaching the age of prosecution for criminal responsibility. Most often, psychologists notice manifestations in such behavior in the form of insults, beatings, arson, extortion, petty theft.

Addictive behavior - this behavior is characterized by an escape from existing problems, leaving "into your own world." This may be accompanied by a flight into the body (bulimia, anorexia), a flight into work (workaholism), a flight into fantasy (computer games), a flight into religion, sex, drugs, suicidal tendencies in a teenager.

Most often, social factors that have developed around him call for antisocial behavior, for example: difficulties in communicating with peers, belonging to informal subcultures, self-doubt, low self-esteem, a dysfunctional family, violence, etc.

Statistically derived by psychologists, that most often such behavior occurs in adolescents in whose families:

  • there are mental disorders or other illnesses, consequences after illnesses;

  • addiction to drug addiction, alcoholism, antisocial behavior in society;

  • in the relationship between parents there is disrespect for each other, hostility towards children, inattention;

  • lack of paternal upbringing in relation to a teenager;

  • have an authoritarian way of upbringing, or, on the contrary, there is an excessive guardianship over a teenager.

Prevention activities in educational institutions:


2. Combating absenteeism is the second important link in educational and educational work that ensures successful prevention of delinquency.
For this reason, the fight against truancy should be included in the whole school Crime Prevention Program.
3. Organization of students' leisure , the wide involvement of students in sports, art, circle work is one of the most important areas of educational activity, contributing to the development of the child's creative initiative, active useful leisure activities, and the formation of law-abiding behavior.
4. Promotion of a healthy lifestyle should be based on the needs of children and their natural natural potential. Researches of scientists have shown that today's children experience:

the need for knowledge about health and a healthy lifestyle;

concern about the prospect of both one's own health, the health of one's loved ones, one's future children, and the health of all of Russia;

the need for action to preserve and promote health;

readiness for these actions and the desire to realize their ideas for maintaining health and prolonging human life.

It is necessary to involve not only specialists (physicians, narcologists, psychologists, ecologists, athletes) in the program of forming a healthy lifestyle, preventing bad habits, but also widely use children's potential, concern about the prospect of their future health and organize the students themselves to implement this program. Create volunteer groups involved in this work.
In the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, it is useful to use the following activities:

conversations of health workers on problems that the students themselves have chosen as a priority;

– conversation, discussion, debate, brainstorming, prepared with the support of the class teacher by the students themselves;

– meetings with “interesting people” who will demonstrate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle;

– “health lessons”, with a discussion of a video film or fragments of films, television recordings.

In conversations with children, in addition to the traditional topics of drug addiction, HIV infection, hepatitis, alcoholism, pay attention to such issues as:

  • the advantage of living without cigarettes, alcohol and drugs;

  • mercy, kindness and health;

  • nature and health;

  • love and health;

  • health and successful career;

  • fashion and health;

  • figure and health;

  • sports and health;

  • computer games and health;

5. Legal education. Widespread propaganda among students, their parents (legal representatives) of legal knowledge is a necessary link in the prevention of antisocial behavior. Conducting conversations at class hours, parent-teacher meetings, explanatory work on the types of responsibility for certain illegal acts characteristic of the teenage environment. At parent-teacher meetings, adults should be informed about the administrative and criminal liability of adults for involving minors in illegal actions, drunkenness, drug addiction, especially parents (persons replacing them), liability for damage caused by their children ..
6. Prevention of drug addiction and substance abuse. It is necessary to plan and carry out work on the early prevention of drug addiction and substance abuse. It is necessary to consolidate efforts in this direction with the police and health authorities, the parent community.
Proceeding from this, an individual educational and pedagogical program should be presented as a system for managing the education, upbringing, and development of a student in order to correct deviant behavior, socialize and develop the personality of a particular student with deviant behavior.

Observe your child's behavior and if there are initial signs of concern, contact a mental health professional. Do not start the situation!

signs of its composition (Article 17.4).

Direct object - established public relationships that allow moral requirements.

Objective side - act in the form of action - involving a minor in antisocial behavior by buying alcohol for him, soft drinks or beer, and also through the use of them these drinks or non-medical the use of potent or other intoxicating substances.

Purchase - Purchase of alcoholic beverages it does not matter at whose expense.

B when alcoholic drinks get into hands of a minor adult for other purposes, for example, to pass on to parents, there will be no sign objective side, as an acquisition for a minor.

Involvement - attraction, compulsion, inducement to participate in the use of alcoholic beverages.

Strong things are recognized state pharmacopoeia to the list No. 1 Sanitary norms of rules No. 12-32-95.

Subject - only persons over 18 years of age. To him include parents and persons replacing them

Subjective party - intentional form of fault

Liability - a fine of 20 to 30 basic.

65. Engagement in prostitution (art. 17.5): signs of its composition prostitution should be understood systematic sexual intercourse intercourse or other acts of a sexual nature for a fee. The act of prostitution itself it's not a crime, but it does administrative responsibility.

  • An object: public morality in the field sexual relations.

  • objective party: extraction of material or other benefits from the provision of other persons sexual services.

  • Subject: individual (male or female)

Subjective side (intention, negligence): intent.

66. Knowingly false message: signs of its composition

  • An object: public order

  • objective side is expressed in a deliberately false message.

  • Subject: individual.

  • subjective side: (intention, negligence) intent.

Extracts from comment

1. Call by a citizen of specialized services without proper grounds for this qualifies as administrative offense.

2. This offense is committed intentionally. Call for specialized services by a citizen who is convinced that relevant circumstances, by misrepresentation, deceit or other factors, the presence of which is incompatible with qualification signs of intentional guilt cannot be regarded as this administrative offense.

  1. Distribution works ... (Article 17.8): signs of his composition.

SPECIAL PART \ CHAPTER 17 \ ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC OF ORDER AND MORALITY

Article 17.8.

Manufacturing or storage for the purpose of distribution or advertising or distribution or advertising‚ as well as public demonstration of films and videos or other works promoting cult of violence and cruelty, - entail imposition of a fine of ten up to thirty base units with confiscation of these works, on an individual entrepreneur - from ten to one hundred base values ​​with confiscation of the indicated works, and for a legal entity - up to five hundred base units with confiscation the said works.

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