CRIMINOGENIC PERSONALITY AND VIOLENCE:Mnemonic, Similarities

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Lesson 23

CRIMINOGENIC PERSONALITY AND VIOLENCE

Objectives:

To understand the relationship of Borderline personality disorder and legal

issues.

To know about differences/developmental similarities of ASPD and BPD

To understand the Narcissist Personality Disorder

To understand the Paranoid Personality Disorder

To get an insight about the changeability vs predictability debate

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Borderline Personality Disorder is a typically female disorder,

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a pervasive pattern of

instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, emotional

adjustments, and marked impulsivity demonstrated in a variety of

contexts. Studies suggest that individuals with BPD tend to

experience frequent, strong and long-lasting states of aversive

tension, often triggered by perceived rejection, being alone or

perceived failure. Individuals with BPD may show changeability

between anger and anxiety or between depression and anxiety and

temperamental sensitivity to emotive stimuli. The negative

emotional states particularly associated with BPD have been grouped into four categories of:

1. Extreme feelings in general

2. Feelings of destructiveness or self-destructiveness

3. Feelings of disintegration or "identitylessness"

4. Feelings of victimization

Individuals with BPD can be very sensitive to the way others treat them, reacting strongly to perceived

criticism or hurtfulness. Their feelings about others often shift from positive to negative, generally after

a disappointment or perceived threat of losing someone. They are slaves of mood, if they are in anger no

one can escape and if depressed can even commit suicide. Self-image can also change rapidly from

extremely positive to extremely negative. Impulsive behaviors are common, including alcohol or drug

abuse, unsafe sex, gambling, prostitution and recklessness and rocking relationships in general.

They are victims not abusers

Women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline personality disorders, tend to be attracted

to and hook up with men who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder .BPD are

completely opposites of anti social personality disorder. Attachment studies suggest individuals with

BPD, while being high in intimacy- or novelty-seeking, can be hyper-alert to signs of rejection or not

being valued and tend towards insecure, ambivalent, preoccupied or fearful attitudes towards

relationships. They tend to view the world generally as dangerous and malevolent, and themselves as

powerless, vulnerable, unacceptable and unsure in self-identity. So they are easy prey of anti social

personality as their main characteristic is to exploit of vulnerable people. Females with BPD make a

combination with anti social personality males by allowing them to exploit them.

BPD plays a major role in many issues of legal system such as:

Substance abuse

Domestic violence,

Gambling shop lifting

Prostitution

AIDS

Homelessness

Suicides

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

A significant number of people with BPD can be found in forensic settings (such as prisons or jails).

Because BPD are heavy users of mental health services because of frequent hospitalizations and

emergency room visits due to suicide attempts.

Main characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder

Dysregulation

Self dysregulation

Relationship dysregulation

Emotional dysregulation

Behavioral dysregulation

Cognitive Dysregulation

Typically females

History of abuse

Abusive relationships

Parasuicidal behaviors

Suicide attempts

Internalized violence

Diagnostic criteria for BPD:

1. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment (fear of abandonment)

2. Unstable and intense interpersonal relationships (alternating extremes of idealization

and devaluation)

3. Identity disturbance (a feeling that one doesn't exist or embodies evil)

4. Impulsiveness (in such areas as sex, substance abuse, crime, or reckless driving)

5. Recurrent suicidal thoughts, gestures, or behaviors (depressive loneliness)

6. Emotional instability and/or mood swings

7. Chronic feelings of emptiness (boredom)

8. Inappropriate displays of intense anger (temper tantrums)

9. Transient, stress-related paranoia, dissociation, or doubling

This is a rather unusual set of symptoms, so let's explain them one by one. Fear of abandonment is not

the same as fear of rejection. People who suffer from a fear of abandonment cannot stand to be alone.

People who suffer from a fear of rejection cannot stand getting close to anyone else. In fact, BPDs and

need people badly to get constant feedback, reassurance, and advice. They may not always follow the

advice of others, but they will keep asking and at least have others around for that. Sexually, they

always seem to have a partner handy, and will usually be stringing along a "stable" of boyfriends or

girlfriends (serial monogamy). They are often socially inept, and don't know how to act in pleasant or

polite company.

Borderlines will love you one minute and hate you the next. This is the clearest way of describing their

alternating extremes of idealization and devaluation. Interaction with them is severely straining in

this regard. They seem to wish for a clinging, dependent, and exclusive relationship with you, then

almost the next minute they are putting you down, discrediting your achievements, accomplishments,

and personal significance. To manipulate you, they will use anger, threats, sadness, or complaints about

physical ailments. They always fail, however, to see the "big picture" and focus in on details such as

being able to reach you by phone at all times.

There's a general proneness to dysphoria, or a generalized feeling of ill-being. They can't quite put their

finger on it, but it's due to an unstable self-image, a feeling that one doesn't exist or embodies evil in

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

some way. They view the whole world as "all good" or "all bad". All people, all experiences, and their

self are viewed in extremes. They cannot grasp the concepts of moderation or something being "all

right", OK, average, or ordinary.

Impulsiveness is a trait commonly associated with criminal tendencies. Impulsives deal with stress and

the unexpected by acting more unpredictably, almost as if they were trying to outwit unpredictableness

itself. They'll start to get nervous, and then agitated, then "bang", they'll do something like hit

somebody, break something, hurt themselves, or at the drop of a hat, initiate a brief, impersonal, sexual

encounter. Needless to say, such people are typically at risk for alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual and

eating disorders.

Recurrent suicidal thoughts, gestures, or behaviors are part of the borderline's manipulative self-

destructive habits. They are a continual burden for the police and hospitals. Constantly calling forth a

"saving" response from others, the borderline operates on the principle that the best help is obtained

from those they can discomfort the most. So, they will alienate and resist those they want help from, and

will do this by finding and invading a caregiver's personal number or home address, calling at odd hours

or showing up at the house unexpectedly. If they are involved in a crime under investigation, they will

taunt the police with calls, tips, and clues.

There will be instances of emotional instability and mood swings, in the form of depression or

irritability, but no hallucinations, delusions, or severe thought disorders. Most of these episodes will be

for attention (histrionic) and last no more than a few days, most likely a few hours.

They will experience chronic feelings of emptiness and boredom. This will manifest itself in

sleeplessness (insomnia), loss of appetite, unplanned road trips, and sexual affairs. There will also be

temper tantrums displayed at times which seem just for the sake of getting angry, in other words,

inappropriate displays of intense anger. When asked why they are angry about something that a

moment ago made them happy, they'll say they were trying to put things right, or something like that.

Mnemonic

A commonly used mnemonic to remember some features of borderline personality disorder is PRAISE:

P - Paranoid ideas

R - Relationship instability

A - Angry outbursts, affective instability, abandonment fears

I - Impulsive behaviour, identity disturbance

S - Suicidal behaviour

E - Emptiness

In short Borderline Personality Disorder can look like.....

Schizophrenia (hallucinations, illusions, paranoia)

Bipolar Affective Disorder ( mood changeability and anger)

Major Depressive Disorder (suicidal, depressed)

Antisocial Personality Disorder (legal problems)

Antisocial Personality Disorder Vs Borderline Personality Disorder

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality

Disorder

Male

Female

Violence for others

Violence towards one's self

Criminal

Suicidal

externalization

Internalization

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Similarities

But when we come to the development of these both disorders we can find striking similarities like both

have following factors in common:

Early trauma

Inconsistent Parenting

Early Attachment issues

History of abuse

Childhood abuse, trauma or neglect

Numerous studies have shown a strong correlation between childhood abuse and development of BPD.

Many (but not all) individuals with BPD report having had a history of abuse, neglect, or separation as

young children. Patients with BPD have been found to be significantly more likely to report having been

verbally, emotionally, physically, and sexually abused by caretakers or trusting figures of their life.

They were also reported to have failed to provide needed protection, and neglected their child's

physical care. Parents (of both sexes) were typically reported to have withdrawn from the child

emotionally, and to have treated the child inconsistently.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by extreme focus on oneself, and is a maladaptive,

rigid, and persistent condition that may cause significant distress and functional impairment. People

who are overly narcissistic commonly feel rejected, humiliated and threatened when criticized. To

protect themselves from these dangers, they often react with disdain, rage, and/or defiance to any slight,

real or imagined.

To the extent that people are pathologically narcissistic, they can be controlling, blaming, self-absorbed,

intolerant of others' views, unaware of other's needs and of the effects of their behavior on others, and

insistent that others see them as they wish to be seen

The interpersonal relationships of patients with NPD are typically impaired due to the individual's lack

of empathy, disregard for others, exploitativeness and constant need for attention. They frequently select

as mates, and engender in their children, If they like any think they will get that because they like it, no

matter whether it damages some one else's rights or not.

As opposed to patients with the Borderline Personality Disorder, the self-image of the narcissist is

stable, he or she are less impulsive and less self-defeating or self-destructive and less concerned with

abandonment issues.

Main characteristics of Narcissistic Personality

Overlaps with Anti Social Personality Disorder

Some times narcissists appear as Anti Social Personality Disorder as narcissists also do not count

and regard other individual's rights, emotions and feelings. Have a tendency to exploit others.

Extreme extension of personal boundaries.

Narcissists do not have set and defined boundaries like other normal human beings rather they have

very vast and extended boundaries of conduct.

So have a tendency as to engulf /absorb/ swallow everyone else

Intense self-love (only "I" am important and fulfillment of "my" needs is essential.

May be caused by excessive spoiling but no real affection. Like father buy a fifty thousand

mobile for his child but do not spare few hours for him and do not give him the true love and

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attention. So absence of real and true parental love and affection can cause Narcissist

personality disorder.

Non-criminal? Psychopath

Why non criminals? The notion that there is a population of uncaught individuals who have faithlessly

conned and have committed crime/ violence, fraud such individuals have following characteristics:

High IQ ( high intelligence help them in doing crimes with less cues behind)

Conman (typically fakers and hoax)

Tells lies as a habit

Social climber (use friends as for getting things and benefits)

Takes no prisoners

Commits many crimes and frauds but never gets caught.

Makes tall claims

Knows everyone

Propels himself to high positions

High proportion of politicians can be placed in this category.

Subverts legal system (corrupts and weakens the legal system of country)

Finds loopholes

Paranoid Personality Disorder

It is characterized by an exaggerated sensitivity to rejection, resentfulness, distrust, as well as the

inclination to distort experienced events.

Neutral and friendly actions of others are often misinterpreted as being hostile or contemptuous.

Unfounded suspicions regarding the sexual loyalty of partners and loyalty in general as well as the

belief that one's rights are not being recognized is stubbornly and argumentatively insisted upon.

Such individuals can possess an excessive self-assurance and a tendency toward an exaggerated

self-reference. The use of the term paranoia in this context is not meant to refer to the presence of

frank delusions or psychosis, but implies the presence of ongoing, unbased suspiciousness and

distrust of people. Paranoid Personality experience following types of delusions:

Delusion of grandeur

This delusion is characterized by fantasies of exaggerated estimation of wealth, power, or status.

Delusional conviction of one's own importance, power, or knowledge or that one is, or has a special

relationship with, a divinity or a famous person. It includes an obsession with grandiose or

extravagant things or actions.

Delusions of reference

Involve a person having a belief or perception that irrelevant, unrelated or innocuous things in the

world are referring to them directly because they are very important and special. Delusion of

grandeur is the cause of this delusion.

For instance few boys were standing at the corner of the street .they laughed at some joke but a

person who had delusion of reference, thought they were talking, infact planning against him and

laughed at the completion of their plan.

Some time they can have experiences such as:

Feeling that people on television or radio are talking about, or talking directly to them

Believing that headlines or stories in newspapers are written especially for them

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Having the experience that people (often strangers) drop hints or say things about them behind

their back

Believing that events (even world events) have been deliberately contrived for them, or have

special personal significance

Seeing objects or events as being deliberately set up to convey a special or particular meaning

Delusion of persecution

A delusion that one is being attacked, harassed, persecuted, cheated, or conspired against.

Perceives attacks on his/her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to

react angrily or to counterattack.

Seductive Delusions

False believe that other women or men are sexually attracted.

Delusion of jealousy

Constantly anxious, concerned and having a frantic feeling of being great. So other people are

jealous and want to kill, so many times they stop visiting relatives and do not eat anything from

relative's houses and ultimately become completely lonely. Some time they have false believe that

one's spouse or lover is unfaithful, based on erroneous inferences drawn from innocent events

imagined to be evidence.

Predictability vs changeability

If a person has Anti social personality disorder, a Forensic Psychologist can predict that in what

type of circumstances this person can be dangerous. But the opposing view holds that human beings

can change. (Changeability)

Can humans change? We know from our own experiences and religious history that yes human

beings can change some time under influence of "Wali Ullah" and some times other things help a

person to transform. But other psychologists argue that such instances are rare. Usually people's

personalities are stable. But I am one of those psychologists who believe that human beings can

change and psychotherapy and treatment can help such people to change. But what do you think?

What is your opinion about this debate of changeability? Can human beings change? Can

psychotherapy/psychological treatment help such people? Can legal system take some steps to help

such people change? Because if you start thinking; you are on your way to become a forensic

psychologist.

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