Most parents fear the prospect of raising a psychopathic child. Just imagine that a 12-year-old boy can be a heartless manipulator who tortures animals with special zeal. At the same time, he does not feel remorse at all and always knows how to avoid punishment. He may pretend to be sick, cry bitterly, or swear it was "the last time." But these are just tricks in his sophisticated game. This is how a psychopathic child appears to us. How are things really? Are there children with psychopathic tendencies?
Characteristics of psychopaths
Psychopaths are identified by some personality trait. There is no doubt that all of these characteristics can be found in children. We are talking about an overblown sense of self-worth, manipulation, lack of empathy, impulsive behavior, superficial charm, inability to take responsibility for their actions. Psychopaths are unable to experience deep emotions and cannot feel remorse or guilt for what they did.
When to worry?
Doctors warn that only a combination of several of the above characteristics can determine a psychopathic personality. Therefore, parents should not be alarmed by the manifestation of only one of the inclinations. At different times of personality formation, an inflated sense of self-worth or an inability to take responsibility for their actions can also occur in children with normal mental health. According to experts, psychopathic traits persist stably throughout a person's life, developing even in childhood. Most of them will be visible even before the teenager reaches the age of 16.
Promotional video:
Traits of adolescent psychopathy
In adolescence, children actively experiment with forbidden things and seek to express themselves. Therefore, the psychopathic traits of a 15-year-old boy will differ from those of a mature psychopath. Parents should sound the alarm if they discover destructive behavior by their daughter or son. We are talking about the use of substances that stimulate the nervous system (drugs, alcohol, tobacco, energy drinks). Also, the psychopath-to-be may be more sensitive to rewards, but not to perceive punishment. Most likely, such a teenager is aggressive towards society or takes part in antisocial activities. These children are intolerant of their peers with deviant or abnormal behavior. Thus, future psychopaths take an active part in fights, fights, acts of vandalism and mass pogroms.
How is it diagnosed?
These features should be monitored by professionals. If three or more of the symptoms on the checklist persist, the adolescent can be diagnosed accordingly. It should be noted that professional diagnostics take a certain amount of time. It is impossible to draw correct conclusions based on the child's behavior in one or more situations. The verdict is given by professionals who observe patients in a clinical setting. These specialists (usually psychiatrists) have a corresponding specialization. It is impossible to leave the existing problems unattended, because psychopaths not only harm society, but in the overwhelming majority of cases have a nondescript prospect of being in correctional institutions.
How to deal with a child with psychopathic tendencies?
If a child shows psychopathic inclinations, hopes for a bright future are not yet lost. If the treatment of adult psychopaths was found to be practically ineffectual, then young renegades have a chance to be healed. A relatively new method of therapy is decompression therapy, which has shown positive results. Parents need to prepare for the presence of other mental disorders in the child, as well as violent protests and reluctance to undergo treatment. But, in fact, doctors do not interfere with the nervous system of a young patient, they pay great attention to the prevention of antisocial behavior, and also carry out explanatory or family therapy.
Inga Kaisina