Lizzie Borden had an axe
She gave her mother 40 whacks
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father 41
Lizzie Bordon, a prevalent name featured in almost every true crime podcast, was a serial killer who inhumanly butchered her father and stepmother. Hers is a crime often recalled in discussions concerning psychopathy. (1) Anti-social personality, narcissism, lack of guilt, and empathy are some of the many indicators of a psychopath. But what truly is a psychopath? Do male and female psychopaths differ? What makes them commit such heinous crimes without the slightest regret or guilt?
Courtesy: Bandcamp
This article is an attempt to answer these questions while focusing on the difference between a male and a female psychopath, the role of sexuality and gender in psychopathy along with the varying intensity of the crime committed.
PSYCHOPATHY: AMALGAMATION OF BIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY
Courtesy: GEN Medium
“Two traits are essential in a criminal: boundless egoism and a strong destructive urge.”
Sigmund Freud
The term “psychopath” is not explicitly mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), however, the manual does explain the characteristics under the umbrella phrase of “Anti-social personality disorders”. Not all individuals suffering from Anti-social personality disorders develop psychopathy but they do exhibit criminal tendencies such as deceit, impulsivity, recklessness, and manipulation. (2)
The key characteristics of a psychopath include a sense of grandiosity, a superficial charm, pathological lying, impulsivity, and poor behavioral controls among many others. Unlike other disorders which may be noticed by masses easily, psychopathy is hard to catch for a layman. These patients often are deemed normal and charming by the general public despite their inclination toward criminality. (2) Interestingly, they are subjected to glamourization and fascination by experts as well as people due to their distinguished personalities and behavioral tendencies. The great interest in crime documentaries, podcasts, and shows based on the lives of psychopaths serves as a testament to it. For example. Netflix's show Conversations with a killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes garnered great interest among the audience despite the disturbing truth it showcased. (2)
In 1980, a Canadian Psychologist named Robert Hare developed a checklist to diagnose psychopathy in an individual. The checklist is called Hare Psychopathy Checklist and is currently the most validated diagnostic instrument for psychopathy. It is widely used by psychologists and psychiatrists across the globe.
It is not uncommon to find the terms “psychopath”, “sociopath” and “narcissist” being used interchangeably. These terms carry similar meanings but are very different from each other. In a conversation with MedCircle Dr. Ramani, a clinical psychologist explains the key differences among the three often confused terms. “Every psychopath is a narcissistic but not every narcissistic is a psychopath”, mentions the Doctor. A narcissist lacks empathy and carries with them a strong sense of grandiosity. They often constantly seek validation and are arrogant however they do not wish to harm others and experience regret and guilt. Psychopaths are natural narcissists however they do not experience the emotions of guilt or shame when doing a bad thing or committing a crime. There is no sense of repentance or shame, even when put to trial they do not reveal any regret or remorse. Commenting on the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath, Dr. Ramani states, “A psychopath is born while a sociopath is made.”. Psychopaths are people with slightly different autonomic nervous systems. The adrenaline rush experienced by humans when they are involved in a deviant act is absent in psychopaths. There is no fight or flight reaction in psychopaths under stressful situations, they are capable of lying without being caught or committing crimes without the fear of consequences. A sociopath on the other hand is an individual who has developed sociopathic tendencies and criminality due to the circumstances they are experiencing. For instance, a child learning criminality due to living in a dangerous environment would result in them becoming a sociopath. (3)
Thus, a psychopath is a person born with a lack of empathy, a sense of criminality, narcissism, and an absence of guilt or remorse. They are often very intelligent and deemed charming by commoners which helps them escape from the consequences of their own actions.
FEMME FATALE: PSYCHOPATHY WITH A TWIST
It is often claimed by experts and professionals that “Female psychopaths are a different breed”. Unlike their male counterparts who are overtly violent and aggressive, female psychopaths tend to exhibit their aggression indirectly.
Courtesy: Streetstylis
According to the studies conducted, psychopathy is more prevalent in males than in females. However many have questioned the credibility of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist as it was tested on the prison population of men in British Colombia. An analysis by researchers in 2005 states that the characteristics of males and females contrast with each other. Women psychopaths have traits like debilitating impulsiveness, thrill-seeking in interpersonal relationships, and verbal aggression. (4)
The core characteristics of a psychopath that are demonstrated differently in males and females include narcissism and aggression to name a few. For instance, female psychopaths manifest narcissism inconspicuously. On the contrary, male psychopaths prominently showcase their superiority in their interactions with people. The same pattern is traced while studying aggression among psychopaths. There is a demonstration of behavioral aggression in these men while women practice the aggression relationally. For instance, men are more susceptible to being involved in physical assault and violent crimes while women evince aggression by spreading gossip, and gaslighting their victims, among others. These women are also proficient at manipulation. Female psychopaths also threaten self-harm when people refuse to comply. (5)
The role of an “enabler” is a unique attribute of female psychopaths. These women seldom commit the crimes themselves. Usually, they use their guile, charm, seductive looks, or other tools to achieve their goals. These enablers are unaware of their victimization, they’re lured in by the female psychopaths mostly through flattery and seduction. Female psychopaths ensure that the enabler is loyal to her through grandiose gestures like gift-giving, monetary gains, etc. The enablers often naively endorse the stand of the psychopath under manipulation. For instance, people may take the word of a psychopath over an innocent person because she has gained trust and belief over time through manipulation. This can also be understood by taking the example of parents of a person suffering from an extreme anti-social personality disorder refusing to accept the fault of their child and blaming others for their actions. The male psychopaths do not have an enabler as a puppet to carry out their crimes, they more often than not commit the crimes themselves. (6)
BIASES AND STEREOTYPE: A PERFECT CAMOUFLAGE
Biases and stereotypes which women across professions and setups fight turn out to be beneficial for female psychopaths to escape. The test developed, as mentioned before, is prone to contestation as it was tested and developed for male prisoners. Since the modus operandi varies between male and female psychopaths, it becomes difficult to diagnose with generic criteria. For example, female psychopaths are cunning and discreet, they scarcely reveal their psychopathic tendencies, thus using a test that is not specific to females might result in misdiagnosis. It could also be seen as a loophole allowing these women to not get noticed. For instance, Belle Gunness was a 19th-century psychopath who despite murdering numerous innocent people including her husband and children was able to disappear and escape from the consequences of her actions. (7)
CONCLUSION
Despite the same neurological setup and tendencies, male and female psychopaths vary on various fronts, especially in the implementation of their manifestations. The female psychopaths can be seen as a finely crafted amalgamation of psychoticism and discretion. It is a facade that they carry with finesse to escape the consequences of their crime. Being the puppeteer of the lives of those around them they're skilled manipulators. Thus, often ignored and looked over, female psychopaths are not only notoriously dangerous but also blatantly sidelined allowing them to nurture under shadows and fulfill their ill motives.
By Charvee
An undergraduate Political Science student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at Delhi University, Charvee is an enthusiastic writer intrigued by the politics of India. She can be found reading fiction books or deliberating about social issues. She is a clumsy ambivert with a zeal to create a mark in the bustling world.
Opmerkingen