tisocial personality disorder and her behavior is most definitely homicidal. The adult form of this disorder is presented best in John Steinbeck's book "East of Eden" in the form of the mother of two boys who shoots her husband and then walks out of the house, abandoning her children without one single regret.
While fiction tends to focus on the psychopathic elements of antisocial personality disorder, the condition itself is actually multifaceted and is not always associated with murder or even crime. In fact, some diagnosed with the childhood form of the disorder, do not go on to develop the adult form (Barlow & Durand, 2004). The purpose of this paper is to present a general overview of antisocial personality disorder. The review first delineates the nature of the disorder in both adulthood and childhood. This is followed by an examination of its prevalence, diagnosis, and prognosis. The current research being conducted on antisocial personality disorder is then reviewed. The final section of the paper presents several conclusions about the condition formulated on the basis of the reviewed literature.
According to the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV-TR, 2000), antisocial personality disorder can be defined as a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
1. failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
2. deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure.
3. impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.
4. irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults.
5. reckless disregard for safety of self or others.
6. consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain steady work or honor f...