Abstract
Psychopathy is one of the most destructive psychiatric disorders found in any society, not only for the severity and violence of the behaviors it engenders but also because it requires the use of a broad range of services, from the prison and justice system to health and welfare services. While the study of psychopathy in adults can be complex, it is even more so in children, hindered by much academic debate over whether a child can have psychopathic tendencies. This chapter expounds the theories that respond to the question of why some people are psychopaths and then discusses where to find, how to access, and how to evaluate them, as well as the ethical and emotional risks involved in working with this type of profile.
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Notes
- 1.
In my research, I use the term “child” to refer to those under 14 years, adolescent for those above 14 years of age, and I use the term “minors” to refer to both groups.
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Halty, L. (2023). How to Investigate a Criminal Psychopath?. In: Díaz-Fernández, A.M., Del-Real, C., Molnar, L. (eds) Fieldwork Experiences in Criminology and Security Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41574-6_20
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