Psychopathology PDF

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Chapter 3 Psychopathology and Biogenics of Serial Murderers CHAPTER OUTLINE Psychobiology and Biochemical Theories of Violent Behavior Insanity: Psycho-Legal Issues The M’Naughten Rule The Brawner Rule The Durham Rule Incompetency Mental Illnesses and Personality Disorders Dissociative Disorders Psychoanalytic Factors Personality Disorders Autism Spectrum Disorder and the DSM Constructing and Deconstructing the Psychopath Dr. Robert Hare and Psychopaths Exploring the Psychopathy Spectrum Female Psychopaths Measuring Criminal Psychopathy LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this chapter, students should be able to: 1. Explore biological and genetic foundations of violent behavior. 2. Examine insanity and mental illness as they relate to violent behavior. 3. Understand the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual spectrum of personality disorders as they relate to violent behavior. 4. Debunk myths surrounding the label psychopath and evaluate psychopathy as a spectrum of development. 5. Differentiate female and male psychopathy. 6. Know the factors in the Hare PCL-R and be able to distinguish the tools from the deficits. 7. Examine cases of serial murder committed by legally insane psychotic offenders. 8. Examine cases of serial murder involving offenders with mental illness, personality disorders, and psychopathy.

CHAPTER SUMMARY The inheritance school of thought is discounted by most researchers today because it is impossible to determine if criminal behavior is a product of inherited or acquired traits. The notion of born criminals provided the impetus for the eugenics movement of the early 1930s. Based on the belief that many criminal traits and mental illnesses were inherited, 27 states allowed the

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forced sterilization of the “feeble-minded,” chronic offenders, and the insane. However, the work of Lombroso and those supporting “body-build theories” have yet to be proven as valuable in understanding criminal behavior. Modern research now supports a variety of biochemical factors involved in criminal behavior, such as allergies, environmental conditions, and diet. The movement toward biological definitions for explaining violent behavior carries with it political, religious, and economic ramifications. The term "psychopath" is a non-diagnostic label used to describe a potpourri of individuals determined by societal standards to possess characteristics at variance with general community standards and practices. Although most serial killers are psychopaths or at least exhibit psychopathic characteristics, the majority of criminal psychopaths are non-violent persons. Indeed, the majority of criminal psychopaths operate as white-collar criminals. Dr. Hare refers to them as “sub-clinical psychopaths” who are drawn to positions of power and control and noted that many white-collar criminals are psychopaths. Psychopaths differentiate themselves from sociopaths in that psychopaths tend to display a higher level of skill in their criminal trade. Thus, they tend not to be arrested as often as sociopaths. A common trait of psychopaths is their constant need to be in control of their social and physical environment. Emotionally healthy people do not need to control others because they are already in control of themselves. Persons with high PCL-R scores are three to four times more likely to recidivate than persons with low scores. Dr. Hare found that on the 40 point scale where normal persons rate about a 5, the typical male incarcerated offender in North America rates about a 23. Bona fide psychopaths, he believes, are rated at 30 points and higher. For the serial killer, the term psychopath seems to apply well. Jacobson (2002), in his review of antisocial abusers (men who lack the capacity to empathize, use violence as a means of control, and have histories of criminal behavior), demonstrated a different physiological response to conflict than other men in similar circumstances. Jacobson referred to such men as “vagal reactors” because their heart rates decline during heated arguments that involve emotionally aggressive confrontations. (In the autonomic nervous system of some persons, the vagus nerve, when exposed to excitation, suppresses arousal). He found that the most seriously belligerent offenders reported the greatest decrease in heart rate. The decrease in heart rate is a result of being in control of another person, common to psychopaths who seek control. Criminal psychopaths, in one experiment, were given anger management and social skills training. They reported an 82% recidivism rate compared to 59% for psychopaths who were not given the treatment. Psychopaths are not amenable to treatment because they do not believe they need it and if subjected to treatment, will simply add that information to their arsenal of psychological tools they can later use to control others. KEY TERMS ANTISOCIAL—Extreme disregard and violation of the rights of others. (p. 90) ATAVISTIC ANOMALIES—Physical characteristics typical of distant ancestors. (p. 69) AVOIDANT—Relationship problems, social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitive to criticism. (p. 90) BORDERLINE—Instability in interpersonal relationships and self-image, and extreme impulsivity. (p. 90) BRAWNER RULE — Also known as the Substantial Capacity Test. Rule used to test for insanity; a person is not responsible for criminal conduct if at the time of such conduct as a result of mental

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disease or defect he lacks substantial capacity either to appreciate the criminality (wrongfulness) of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirement of the law. (p. 76) CATATHYMIC CRISIS—This involves a person with underlying emotionally charged conflicts developing a fixed idea that he or she must kill a future victim. (p. 108) CESARE LOMBROSO—The father of criminology. (p. 69) DEPENDENT—Relationship problems, need to be cared for, fear of abandonment, submissive and clinging behavior. (p. 90) DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS—Disorders that include abrupt, temporary changes in consciousness, identity, and motor activity. (p. 80) DURHAM RULE — Also known as the Products Test. Rule used to test for insanity; an accused is not criminally responsible if his unlawful act was the product of mental disease or defect . (p. 75) GUILTY BUT INSANE— A plea whereby offenders are confined to psychiatric facilities until their mental state improves followed by prison incarceration. (p. 76) HISTRIONIC—Grandiosity, egocentric, excessive emotionality and attention seeking. (p. 90) HYPOGLYCEMIA—A state of low blood sugar that affects the functioning of the brain. (p. 70) IATROGENIC—When practitioners and clinicians are responsible for a disorder's occurrence. (p. 80) LATENT DELINQUENCY —A term that describes a state in which a youth constantly seeks immediate gratification while neglecting the feelings or needs of others. (p. 86) NARCISSISTIC—Self-absorbed, grandiosity, need for praise, lack of empathy. (p. 90) OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE—Preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, mental and interpersonal control, inflexible and inefficient behaviors. (p. 90) PARANOID—A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others. (p. 90) PERSONALITY DISORDER TRAIT SPECIFIED —According to the DSM-V, persons whose traits significantly impair their daily functioning. (p. 90) SCHIZOID—A pervasive pattern of detachment from relationships, aloofness, including limited expression of emotions. (p. 90) SCHIZOTYPAL—Social and interpersonal deficits, eccentric behaviors that inhibit the development of close relationships. (p. 90) SEROTONIN—A chemical that inhibits the secretion of stomach acid and stimulates smooth muscle and acts as a neurotransmitter in brain functioning. (p. 71) SOCIAL COMMUNICATION DISORDER—A non-autistic disorder in which persons experience problems in communication, social responsiveness and social relationships. (p. 93) INCOMPETENCY—A state of mind at the time of the offense which renders a defendant unable to stand trial and is then placed in a mental institution until such time as he or she is considered competent by medical experts, after which the person must stand trial. (p. 76)

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INSANITY— A legal term to define the state of mind of an offender at the time of the offense; offenders may be deemed insane at the moment of the crime and only for that period of time. (p. 75) LATENT DELINQUENCY — A term coined by August Aichorn to describe a state in which a youth constantly seeks immediate gratification while neglecting the feelings or needs of others, centers on a lack of remorse or sense of guilt in satisfying instinctive urges. (p. 86) M’NAUGHTEN RULE—Rule used to define insanity; it must be proved that at the time of the committing of the act the party accused was laboring under such a defect of reason from disease of the mind as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing; or, if he did know, that he did not know what he was doing was wrong. (p. 75) PERSONALITY DISORDER—An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture. (p. 90) PHRENOLOGISTS—People who were once believed to be able to detect criminal predisposition by examining bumps and abnormalities on the surface of the skull. (p. 69) PROZAC—A serotonin booster and antidepressant to control mood and behavior. (p. 72) PSYCHOPATH—A non-diagnostic label used to describe a potpourri of individuals determined by societal standards to possess characteristics at variance with general community standards and practices. (p. 94) PSYCHOSIS—A severe form of mental disease in which the individual suffers from a severe break with reality and may exhibit dangerous behavior. (p. 77) REACTION-FORMATION—The double life some people live in response to unresolved personal conflicts. (p. 96) SWITCHING—In dissociative identity disorder, a transition that can occur from one subpersonality to another. (p. 80)

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DISCUSSION TOPICS 1. Discuss the correlation between head trauma and violent behavior. 2. Discuss the movement toward biological definitions for explaining violent behavior and its political, religious, and economic ramifications. 3. Contrast nature vis-à-vis nurture in understanding violent behavior. 4. Compare developmental profiles of violent offenders. 5. Explore the various insanity defenses. CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS 1. Students segregate into groups and discuss profiles of violent offenders and the role of psychopathology in understanding pathology. 2. Students research psychosis vis-à-vis psychopathy in explaining violent behavior. 3. Students research legal defenses used by violent offenders.

SUGGESTED WEBSITES 1. Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute: Insanity Defense www.law.cornell.edu/wex/insanity_defense 2. “Without Conscience”: Robert Hare's Web Site devoted to the study of Psychopathy www.hare.org 3. The Madoff Recovery Initiative www.madoff.com

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