What they were plotting IS deeply disturbing, and wrong, and all the rest of it and some major interventions are called for. But, they can not be diagnosed as having antisocial personality disorder until they're 18 for the simple fact that their personalities are still very much under construction. Maybe these kids will turn out to be ones who can't or won't be helped, but at *least* until they prove themselves such we have an obligation to not write them off.
Sadly, psychopathy/sociopathy isn't diagnosable for anyone under 18 (at least it wasn't last I read)...which is a shame since so many of the signs are easier to find in children, IMO.
Isn't the reason that we can't make diagnoses of ASPD in juveniles because impulsiveness/lack of empathy/narcissism are common traits to both teenagers and psychopaths? I think I remember reading somewhere that a lot of the traits common to personality disorders are totally normal developmental phases - that a personality disorder is, in some way, a failure to progress past a certain stage in development.
I think so, and I do think that's a good thing in general, I'm just a weirdo who worries about outliers. That might change when we better understand psychopathy/sociopathy and how to treat it though?
Honestly treatment for personality disorders in general is fairly limited. It's not something like a mood disorder where you can medicate, and therapy doesn't really exist for ASPD (and until recently didn't exist for BPD and other personality disorders).
I'm cynically hoping that as we gain more knowledge and gain a better understanding of such disorders/illnesses, we'll be better able to create successful treatment plans.
Of course, for that to happen education, and scientific research will need to be better funded...not to mention the need to eradicate the stigma associated with disorders/illnesses.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
What they were plotting IS deeply disturbing, and wrong, and all the rest of it and some major interventions are called for. But, they can not be diagnosed as having antisocial personality disorder until they're 18 for the simple fact that their personalities are still very much under construction. Maybe these kids will turn out to be ones who can't or won't be helped, but at *least* until they prove themselves such we have an obligation to not write them off.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Of course, for that to happen education, and scientific research will need to be better funded...not to mention the need to eradicate the stigma associated with disorders/illnesses.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment