Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T23:29:18.121Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 3 - Developmental Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2022

Richard Howard  and
Conor Duggan
Richard Howard
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham
Conor Duggan
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham
Get access

Summary

This chapter reviews what is known about the developmental antecedents of adult antisocial personality. It addresses the question of why it is that, while many people may have personality difficulties, a minority develop a severe and persistent dysfunction of personality that is more or less life-long, leading them into a pattern of chronic antisocial behaviour. Findings reviewed in this chapter suggest that the route to adult antisociality is marked by a cascade of developmental roadblocks and insults arising during childhood and adolescence. The authors emphasise the importance of adolescence as a period when things can go seriously awry and personality can deviate from a normal track. They further emphasise the critical importance of substance abuse, particularly the misuse of alcohol, in the genesis of life-course-persistent antisociality. Two possible developmental pathways are described, one predominantly male, the other predominantly female, through which adult antisociality results from adverse circumstances in childhood and adolescence.

Keywords

developmentadolescencechildhoodpathwaysdrug abusealcohol abusebrain injury.
Type
Chapter
Information
Antisocial Personality
Theory, Research, Treatment
 , pp. 43 - 58
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Fischer, R.. Personality, Values, Culture: An Evolutionary Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atherton, O. E., Lawson, K. M., Robins, R. W.. The development of effortful control from late childhood to young adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Personality Processes and Individual Differences 2020; 119: 417–456.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomaes, S., Brummelman, E., Miller, J. D., Lilienfeld, S. O.. The dark personality and psychopathology: Toward a brighter future. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 2017; 126: 835–842.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shiner, R. L., Allen., T. A. Developmental psychopathology. In: Livesley, W. J., Larstone, R., eds., Handbook of Personality Disorders. New York: Guilford Press, 2018; 309–323.Google Scholar
Shiner, R. L.. Personality as lasting individual differences in emotions. In: Fox, A. S., Lapate, R. C., Shackman, A. J., Davidson, R. J., eds., The Nature of Emotion: Fundamental Questions, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018; 61–63.Google Scholar
McAdams, D. P.. The Art and Science of Personality Development. New York: Guilford Press, 2015.Google Scholar
Götz, F. M., Bleidorn, W., Rentfrow, P. J.. Age differences in Machiavellianism across the life span: Evidence from a large-scale cross-sectional study. Journal of Personality 2020; 88: 978–992.Google Scholar
Robins, L. N.. Deviant Children Grown Up: A Sociological and Psychiatric Study of Sociopathic Personality. Baltimore, MD: Williams and Wilkins, 1966.Google Scholar
Black, D. W.. The natural history of antisocial personality disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2015; 60: 309–314.Google Scholar
Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., Newman, D. L., Silva, P. A.. Behavioral observations at age 3 years predict adult psychiatric disorders. Longitudinal evidence from a birth cohort. Archives of General Psychiatry 1996; 53: 1033–1039.Google Scholar
Moffitt, T. E.. Male antisocial behaviour in adolescence and beyond. Nature Human Behavior 2018; 2: 177–186.Google Scholar
Jolliffe, D., Farrington, D. P., Piquero, A. R., Loeber, R., Hill, K. G.. Systematic review of early risk factors for life-course-persistent, adolescence-limited, and late-onset offenders in prospective longitudinal studies. Aggression and Violent Behavior 2017; 33: 15–23.Google Scholar
Farrington, D., Bergstrom, H.. Family background and psychopathy. In: Patrick, C. J., ed., Handbook of Psychopathy, 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press, 2018; 354–379.Google Scholar
Coid, J., Ullrich, S.. Antisocial personality disorder is on a continuum with psychopathy. Comprehensive Psychiatry 2010; 51: 426–433.Google Scholar
Hollerbach, P., Habermeyer, E., Nitschke, J., Sünkel, Z., Mokros, A.. Construct validity of the German version of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist – Revised. European Journal of Psychological Assessment 2020. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000566.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Vogel, V., Lancel, M.. Gender differences in the assessment and manifestation of psychopathy: Results from a multicenter study in forensic psychiatric patients. International Journal of Mental Health 2016; 15: 97–110.Google Scholar
Williams, W. H., Chitsabesan, P., Fazel, S., McMillan, T., Hughes, N., Parsonage, M., Tonks, J.. Traumatic brain injury: A potential cause of violent crime? Lancet Psychiatry 2018. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30062-2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKinlay, A., Corrigan, J., Horwood, L. J., Fergusson, D. M.. Substance abuse and criminal activities following traumatic brain injury in childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 2014; 29: 498–506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foulds, J., Boden, J., Horwood, J., Mulder, R.. High novelty seeking as a predictor of antisocial behavior in early adulthood. Personality and Mental Health 2017; 11: 256–265.Google Scholar
Wells, J. E., Horwood, L. J., Fergusson., D. M. Drinking patterns in mid‐adolescence and psychosocial outcomes in late adolescence and early adulthood. Addiction 2004; 99: 1529–1541.Google Scholar
Pulkkinen, L., Fadjukoff, P, Pitkänen., T Persistent offenders and adolescence-limited offenders: Differences in life-courses. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health. 2020; 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbm.2157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zijlmans, J., van Duin, L., Jorink, M., Marhe, R., Luijks, M.-J. A., Crone, M., Popma, A., Bevaart, F.. Disentangling multiproblem behavior in male young adults: A cluster analysis. Development and Psychopathology 2020; 1–11. doi:10.1017/S0954579419001652.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howard, R. C.. How is personality disorder linked to dangerousness? A putative role for early-onset alcohol abuse. Medical Hypotheses 2006; 67: 702–708.Google Scholar
Howard, R. C.. The link between early adolescent alcohol abuse and adult antisocial behavior: A hypothesis revisited. SOJ Psychology 2016; 3: 1–6.Google Scholar
Albert, D., Steinberg, L.. Peer influences on adolescent risk behaviour. In Bardo, M. T., Milich, R., Fishbein, D. H., eds., Inhibitory Control and Drug Abuse Prevention. New York: Springer, 2011; 211–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howard, R., McMurran, M.. Alcohol and violence in developmental perspective. In: McMurran, M., ed., Alcohol-Related Violence: Prevention and Treatment. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2013; 81–102.Google Scholar
Bandura., A. Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986.Google Scholar
Caprara, G. V., Tisak, M. S., Alessandri, G., Fontaine, R. G., Fida, R., Paciello, M.. The contribution of moral disengagement in mediating individual tendencies toward aggression and violence. Developmental Psychology 2014; 50, 1: 71–85.Google Scholar
Howard, R. C., Finn, P. R., Gallagher, J., Jose, P. E.. Adolescent-onset alcohol abuse exacerbates the influence of childhood conduct disorder on late adolescent and early adult antisocial behaviour. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology 2012; 23: 7–22.Google Scholar
Khalifa, N., Duggan, C., Lumsden, J., Howard, R. C.. The relationship between childhood conduct disorder and adult antisocial behavior is partially mediated by early onset alcohol abuse. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research and Treatment 2012; 3: 423–432.Google Scholar
Howard, R. C., Huband, N., Duggan, C.. Adult antisocial syndrome with co-morbid borderline pathology: Association with severe childhood conduct disorder. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry 2012; 24: 127–134.Google Scholar
Bamvita, J. M., Larm, P., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R., Côté, G., Hodgins, S.. How do childhood conduct problems, callousness and anxiety relate to later offending and adult mental disorder? Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health 2020; 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbm.2186CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frick, P. J., Ray, J. V., Thornton, L. C., Kahn, R. E.. Can callous-unemotional traits enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of serious conduct problems in children and adolescents? A comprehensive review. Psychological Bulletin 2014; 140: 1–57.Google Scholar
McMahon, R. J., Witkiewitz, K., Kotler, J. S., et al. Predictive validity of callous-unemotional traits measured in early adolescence with respect to multiple antisocial outcomes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 2010; 119: 752–763.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matlasz, T. M., Frick, P. J., Robertson, E. L., et al. Does self-report of aggression after first arrest predict future offending and do the forms and functions of aggression matter? Psychological Assessment 2020; 32, 3: 265–276.Google Scholar
Hartsell, E. N.. The relationship between psychological symptom ratings and crime in juvenile justice system involved young people. Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health 2020. doi: 10.1002/cbm.2169.Google Scholar
Brennan, G. M., Stuppy-Sullivan, A. M., Brazil, I. A., Baskin-Sommers, A. R.. Differentiating patterns of substance misuse by subtypes of antisocial traits in male offenders. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology 2017; 28: 341–356.Google Scholar
Olson-Ayala, L. A., Patrick, C. J.. Clinical aspects of antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy. In: Livesley, W. J., Larstone, R., eds., Handbook of Personality Disorders. New York: Guilford Press, 2018; 444–458.Google Scholar
Lynam, D. R.. The early identification of chronic offenders: Who is the fledgling psychopath? Psychological Bulletin 1996; 120: 209–234.Google Scholar
DeLisi, M., Drury, A. J., Elbert, M. J.. Fledgling psychopaths at midlife: Forensic features, criminal careers, and coextensive psychopathology. Forensic Science International: Mind and Law 2020; 1: 100006.Google Scholar
Dotterer, H. L., Waller, R., Cope, L. M., Hicks, B. M., Niggy, J. T., Zucker, R. A., Hyde, L. W.. Concurrent and developmental correlates of psychopathic traits using a triarchic psychopathy model approach. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 2017; 126: 859–876.Google Scholar
Johnson, S. L., Leedom, L. J., Muhtadie, L.. The dominance behavioral system and psychopathology: Evidence from self-report, observational, and biological studies. Psychological Bulletin 2012; 138: 692–743.Google Scholar
Longpré, N., Guay, J. P., Knight, R. A.. The developmental antecedents of sexually sadistic behaviours. In: Proulx, J., Beauregard, E., Carter, A. J., Mokros, A., Darjee, R., James, J., eds., Routledge International Handbook of Sexual Homicide Studies. Abingdon: Routledge, 2018; 283–302.Google Scholar
Daughters, S. B., Reynolds, E. K., MacPherson, L., Kahler, C. W., Danielson, C. K., Zvolensky, M., Lejuez, C. W.. Distress tolerance and early adolescent externalizing and internalizing symptoms: The moderating role of gender and ethnicity. Behaviour Research and Therapy 2009; 47: 198–205.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lazarus, S. A., Beardslee, J., Pedersen, S. L., Stepp, S. D.. A within-person analysis of the association between borderline personality disorder and alcohol use in adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 2017; 45: 1157–1167.Google Scholar
Kaufman, E. A., Perez, J., Lazarus, S., Stepp, S. D., Pedersen, S. L.. Understanding the association between borderline personality disorder and alcohol-related problems: An examination of drinking motives, impulsivity, and affective instability. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment 2019; 11: 213–221.Google Scholar
Skabeikyte, G., Barkauskiene, R.. A systematic review of the factors associated with the course of borderline personality disorder symptoms in adolescence. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation 2021; 8: 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-021-00151-z.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×