Psychopathy: A clinical and forensic overview

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that includes a cluster of interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial traits and behaviors, including deception; manipulation; irresponsibility; impulsivity; stimulation-seeking; poor behavioral controls; shallow affect; a lack of empathy, guilt, or remorse; promiscuity; and a range of unethical and antisocial behaviors. Among the most devastating features of criminal psychopathy are a callous disregard for the rights of others and a propensity for predatory behavior and violence. Following a brief discussion of the clinical concept of psychopathy and its assessment, the author summarizes aspects of the empirical literature on its association with crime and violence, the key role psychopathy plays in the new generation of risk assessment tools, and the implications of new research on management and treatability.