AntiSocial Paper

AntiSocial Paper AntiSocial Paper The History of Antisocial Personality Disorder Individuals with a diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) are most notorious for a blatant disregard for the rights of others and the rules of society. They are usually manipulative, impulsive, deceitful, and lack any remorse. These personality traits are socially maladaptive and harmful (Torry however, individuals with psychopathy are also characterized by an arrogant and deceitful interpersonal style, callousness, and lack of emotionality (Zeier, Sommers, Newman, & Racer, 2011). In the past, anyone who participated in criminal acts would be looked down on and were often times persecuted. However, not everyone believed that these people should be punished for their actions. James Cowles Prichard felt that not all criminals should be condemned so he came up with the term â€Å"moral insanity†. Moral insanity was the word used to describe the body as being effected with a disease that causes a person to partake in criminal acts. In his book, A Treatise on Insani ty and Other Disorders Affecting the Mind, he stated â€Å"I have described a form of mental derangement, under the title of moral insanity, consisting in disorder of the moral affections and propensities, without any symptom of illusion or error impressed on the understanding† (Prichard, 1837). Throughout the book Prichard is trying to convince people that insane individuals acted out not because they wanted to but because they were forced to do so. Ceasare Lombroso is another pioneer in the development of the phrase antisocial personality disorder. Lombrosso thought that the bodies of criminals were different than the bodies of law abiding citizens. He believed that criminals shared anatomical, similar, structures with our Neanderthal ancestors. The more a person looked like a beast, the more crime they would commit. Today people who has antisocial personality disorder are viewed as having a mental disability. However, a lot of people with this disorder are currently in jail instead of receiving the