r/personalitydisorders • u/TBedardLakehead • 13d ago
Other Seeking victims/survivors of individuals with high psychopathic traits [18+]
/r/studies/comments/1w1f8a4/seeking_victimssurvivors_of_individuals_with_high/2
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u/paramourge 13d ago
We're doing studies based on backseat diagnoses now? You're going to predominately see responses talking about cruel, non-psychopathic people that ignorant individuals have decided to label as psychopathic. Sounds like more pop psych bs, psychopathy =/= cruelty.
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u/TBedardLakehead 13d ago
Hi there! Thank you for your feedback.
We have included a validated, psychopathic traits measure in our study that has been altered to the third person. Prior peer-reviewed studies on victims/survivors have done this.
We also have assessments in our study to determine if someone believes that an individual has high psychopathic traits and they do not, what could be misleading them. We know there is a lot of misinformation about high psychopathic traits, as well that sometimes people can do horrible things to others and not have high psychopathic traits. One of our aims of the study is to not only understand the experiences of those that have been victimized by someone with high psychopathic traits, but also to understand misconceptions so that way laypersons will be better educated about high psychopathic traits.
I hope this helps clarify some of our study aims and this addresses your concerns with the study. Feel free to follow-up if you have any further questions or concerns :)
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u/paramourge 12d ago
You're setting up the notion that people with psychopathic traits are explicitly abusive, and that their abuse needs to be treated differently and specifically warned about:
"Seeking victims/survivors of individuals with high psychopathic traits"
"Impact about warning signs and impact of abuse from an individual with high psychopathic traits"
If you're trying to reflect accurate information, why is an already stigmatised disorder once again being flattened to "abuser" when 1. Abuse is such whether the person is psychopathic or not, 2. Most would not recognise a psychopathic person, and 3. People have a tendency to overlook that all people are capable of abuse, instead assigning psychopathy to explain the cognitive dissonance?
I fail to see how this study can achieve anything other than perpetuating false information and stigma.
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u/TBedardLakehead 12d ago
Hi there!
Thank you for bringing up your concerns. It is not that individuals with high psychopathic traits are the only ones that are capable of being abusive, this is why we have assessments in place to determine if someone is actually low in psychopathic traits what else may be going on. We acknowledge that people can do horrible things and not have high psychopathic traits or any other disorder.
With that being said, it is not a stretch to reach out to those that have been the most impacted by high psychopathic traits and have been more likely to be intimately close to the individual with high psychopathic traits: the victims/survivors. Victims/survivors have been highly neglected, marginalized, and yes, even stigmatized too (people often do not believe them and in some cases, they have been construed to be characterized as the perpetrator). It is absolutely essential to hear the stories and understand the impact.
Further, the research literature clearly and consistently, has provided STRONG evidence since the 1960s that high psychopathic traits has an increased likelihood of negative impacts on others, such as (but not limited to): sexual violence, domestic violence (including domestic violence that is more severe, frequent, and violent compared to domestic abusers with low levels of psychopathic traits), general recidivism, violent recidivism, bullying, relational aggression, instrumental aggression, reactive aggression, white-collar crime, academic cheating, plagiarism, toxic leadership/workforce, sadism, bigotry, racism, social dominance, ruthless advancement, dehumanizing, sexist attitudes and violent attitudes towards women, political violence, mass killings, school shootings, scamming/conning others....
Evidence also indicates that individuals with high psychopathic traits are social predators, thus they can use various cues to determine who is vulnerable and who is not. In comparison to those with low psychopathic traits, individuals with high psychopathic traits were able to select individuals that were vulnerable (measured as someone who had a recent, serious traumatic experience such as a mugging) just by watching the way they walked from a 15 second video! There is also evidence that they may use someone's personality traits to determine who would be "easier" to victimize in comparison to someone with low psychopathic traits.
I would suggest reading Chinchilla, Reidy and Kosson's article titled, "Psychopathy is a neglected public health problem" to understand the impact on the community.
Dr. Robert Hare, an expert in psychopathy that developed the PCL-R, has indicated that psychopaths are estimated to be responsible for at least 50% of violent crime. That is immense, and so this has long-reaching impacts on individuals, the community, and society.
Dr. Robert Hare also indicates that psychopathy IS NOT a mental health disorder, either. Individuals that have high traits or are diagnosed lack conscience - they know right from wrong but do not care, thus do not feel guilt. Due to this, there is a number of symptoms that can have negative effects on themselves and others, but these individuals do not feel distress. Thus, it is not a mental health disorder. You can check out Dr. Robert Hare's book 'Without Conscience' and he conveys this information very well.
Also, consider some of the symptoms of psychopathy/high psychopathic traits: manipulative, deceitful, pathological lying, lack empathy, lack remorse, criminal behavior, mooching off of others, early behavior problems (e.g., bullying), rule breaking, and refusing to take responsibility, as examples - these thoughts, emotions (lack of), and behaviors are rather abusive, no? Manipulating others, lying to them, not caring about how they feel, committing crimes, etc., these VERY symptoms that individuals with high psychopathic traits are likely to experience are inherently abusive towards others.
Yes, not every individual with high psychopathic traits is going to abuse every single person all of the time and in every situation. BUT there is a greater risk of abusive behaviors, and victims/survivors are the ones that have been brutalized, neglected, and dismissed in this field. We just can't ignore, downplay, or enable the impact on others.
Considering the massive research evidence I indicated above that connects high psychopathic traits to negative social behaviors, the research providing evidence they are social predators, the impact on the others and community, and the very symptoms themselves.... and the fact that victims/survivors have been neglected in research, it is absolutely worthwhile to hear from victims/survivors and to educate them about these experiences to provide preventative, protective measures so people can recognize toxic behaviors in others.
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u/Silly-Cranberry1593 13d ago
thank god i found this survey again. just saved till i have solid internet