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Do Treatment Programs Enable Psychopathy?

Ishika Sonal




Media depictions and famous roles portrayed on screen propagate a general assumption that is held by audiences as to what psychopathy is and how psychopaths function. More often than not, individuals or fictional characters like Charles Manson and Hannibal Lector are perceived in a manner where though they possess the traits associated with psychopathy, the individual characteristics are often overshadowed by their violent tendencies and the crimes that they commit, often exceedingly barbaric in nature, such as the cannibalistic tendencies of Hannibal Lector. 

Psychopaths are characterised by their method of using superficial charm, deceit, and violence to achieve their goals, as well as are perceived to possess a grandiose sense of self, a lack of conscience and guilt, as well as a lack of empathy, shallow emotions, and manipulative behavioural patterns (Herstein, W. (2013, Jan 30) What is a Psychopath. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/mindmelding/201301/what-is-psychopath-0). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (PCL-R), a diagnostic tool used to rate an individual’s antisocial or psychopathic tendencies, breaks down the individual traits associated with psychopathy, and while one generally tends to immediately associate violent tendencies as the defining characteristic, it is only one of many. 
Traits that are often not generally perceived to be as dangerous include their shallow affect, superficial charm, impulsivity, and manipulative behaviour patterns. There exists a possibility that those psychopaths who indulge in violence when provided with treatment, exploit those methods to become better criminals through learning to further manipulate others, and learn to fake the illusion of empathy and compassion using these same traits. 

In a Canadian experimental study carried out between 1968 to 1978, prisoners diagnosed with psychopathy were integrated into a ‘therapeutic community’ where they developed their own rules and punishments for misbehaviour. Those who adapted well were appointed into positions of power where they were able to dictate punishments and regulations to the other prisoners. However, this method of treatment failed, with 78% of prisoners being arrested for further violent crimes ten years after their release, as opposed to 55% of the untreated prisoners (Bower, B. (2015, June 17) Rehab for Psychopaths. Retrieved from https://modlab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Rehab%20for%20psychopaths.pdf). It might also have incentivised the prisoners into further making conscious attempts to learn what was expected of them to attain the responsibility of handing out consequences to misbehaviour and manipulating both the guards and the experimenters by portraying false illusions of betterment to attain that power. 

Putting psychopaths in an environment that provides them with the necessary tools of what ‘normal’ and ideal societal behaviour and norms look like easily provides them with the resources to abuse this knowledge to further their own agendas. Approaches to deterring criminal psychopaths have generally included a system of punishments for misbehaviours aimed at discouraging the psychopathic individuals from relapsing into violent or criminal behaviour through either treatment plans or by imprisoning them . However, this tactic more often than not failed as psychopaths tend to not fear punishments or social stigmatisation, and are six times more likely than other criminals to commit new crimes following release from prison. (Keihl, K. (2014) Can Psychopaths be Cured? Retrieved from https://modlab.yale.edu/news/can-psychopaths-be-cured)
Despite the failings of punishment models in deterring criminal psychopaths, psychologists have discovered that psychopathy in individuals and the different ways it can manifest externally while cannot be cured, can be managed through reward-based treatments. These treatments entail psychopathic prisoners being allowed small privileges in exchange for better behaviour(Bonn, S.A. (2014, Aug 11) Psychopathic Criminals Cannot Be Cured. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201408/psychopathic-criminals-cannot-be-cured).

In a criminal system where male psychopaths can make upto 25% of offenders in correctional facilities (Parry, W. (2011, Oct 20) How to Spot Psychopaths. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/16585-psychopaths-speech-language.html) , it is necessary to perhaps revaluate the approach to handling such cases if the end goal of imprisonment is rehabilitation for individuals not serving life sentences or on death row. Punishment models have been statistically proven to fail to deter psychopaths from relapsing into criminal behaviour, and punishment based treatment plans have resulted in the same. Psychopathic traits in themselves seem to result in an inability to learn from such models, and thus the entire justice system seems to fail to uphold what its end goal is meant to be, failing not only the individuals imprisoned in facilities that will not benefit them, but also putting society at risk by unintentionally enabling violent and criminal behaviour in such individuals.  


References:
Herstein, W. (2013, Jan 30) What is a Psychopath. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/mindmelding/201301/what-is-psychopath-0
Bower, B. (2015, June 17) Rehab for Psychopaths. Retrieved from https://modlab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Rehab%20for%20psychopaths.pdf
Keihl, K. (2014) Can Psychopaths be Cured? Retrieved from https://modlab.yale.edu/news/can-psychopaths-be-cured
Bonn, S.A. (2014, Aug 11) Psychopathic Criminals Cannot Be Cured. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201408/psychopathic-criminals-cannot-be-cured
Parry, W. (2011, Oct 20) How to Spot Psychopaths. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/16585-psychopaths-speech-language.html


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