Antisocial Personality Disorder

ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER

Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others-and with the central characteristics of deceit and manipulation. This pattern also has been referred to as psy-chopathy, sociopathy, or dyssocial personality disorder. It occurs in about 3% of the general population and is three to four times more common in men than in women. In prison populations, about 50% are diagnosed with antiso-cial personality disorder. Antisocial behaviors tend to peak in the 20s and diminish significantly after 45 years of age (APA, 2000).