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Currently there is still not a whole lot of agreement on what causes 
psychopathic/sociopathic (antisocial personality disorder) behavior.  Were the issue 
as simple as childhood abuse or a dysfunctional family, the disorder would lend 
itself much more conveniently to diagnosis and cure.  Below are two links which you 
may find interesting.

This link is to an article entitled "The Sociopath", 1999, Rebecca Horton
http://groups.msn.com/NarcissismSupportGroupMoralandSpiritualStruggle/silenceofthelambs.msnw
Here is a link to two checklists to help identify psychopathic/sociopathic 
individuals:
http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/narcissism/psychopathy_checklist.html

One thing that has intrigued me is the presence in our childhoods of characteristics 
that are mini versions of true P/S behavior.  Egocentricity, lying, teasing of 
animals, baiting of siblings, bullying, all these and many other "misbehaviors". 
What is fascinating is that it is not just the behaviors themselves that align so 
well with psychopathology but more importantly, especially when observed in young 
children, the complete lack of empathy that accompanies the behaviors.  Because most 
young children seem to have no conscience when it comes to inflicting pain on other 
living creatures, animal or human, I ask myself, "What happens in the lives of 
children that changes them?  Are there many different experiences that can befall a 
child that can 'turn him around'?"  Can "getting caught and sent to one's room" do 
it?  Spanking?  Observing adults acting with kindness towards animals?  And more 
darkly, are there specific actions by custodial adults that can doom a child to 
remain in that world of cold uncaring?

I noted in the article that Raven shared that one of the deputies said, "When they 
were brought in here for questioning, one was really nervous and remorseful. The 
other one showed no emotion and didn't say anything."  What is frightening, because 
we can't know, is that while it might be that the "remorseful" teen was just a 
follower who fell in with bad company, it is also possible that he is an even more 
adept P/S, having learned to display effectively behaviors associated with emotions 
which he does not and cannot feel.


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