Antisocial Behavior

Antisocial behavior takes on many forms, from rebellious teens with green hair and pierced skin to the truly dangerous homicidal individuals whose horrible stories fill our newspapers. Parents worry about their children as they are exposed to the heated climate of violence in contemporary society, a time of decaying morals and values. The rise in sociopathic behavior among adults and children, whether in tense inner cities or in tranquil suburban and rural settings, is masterfully chronicled by Dr. Benjamin B. Wolman, a leading psychologist and noted national expert who has studied these trends for over half a century. "There is a growing incidence of sociopathic antisocial behavior . . . coupled with an attitude of moral apathy," Dr. Wolman asserts. He cites international statistics pointing to a showdown between dangerous individuals-the violent, the charming, and the passive-and the societies that create them. How has the spread of democratic ideals actually increased the potential for antisocial behavior? What social and cultural factors must be changed if free societies are to reduce this alarming trend? Rather than simply complain about the problem, Dr. Wolman examines the familial and societal causes, and proposes clear-cut solutions to the problem-including radical changes to our educational system and the mass media.

The Psychology of Criminal and Antisocial Behavior: Victim and Offenders Perspectives is not just another formulaic book on forensic psychology. Rather, it opens up new areas of enquiry to busy practitioners and academics alike, exploring topics using a practical approach to social deviance that is underpinned by frontier research findings, policy, and international trends. From the relationship between psychopathology and crime, and the characteristics of catathymia, compulsive homicide, sadistic violence, and homicide victimology, to adult sexual grooming, domestic violence, and honor killings, experts in the field provide insight into the areas of homicide, violent crime, and sexual predation. In all, more than 20 internationally recognized experts in their fields explore these and other topic, also including discussing youth offending, love scams, the psychology of hate, public threat assessment, querulence, stalking, arson, and cults. This edited work is an essential reference for academics and practitioners working in any capacity that intersects with offenders and victims of crime, public policy, and roles involving the assessment, mitigation, and investigation of criminal and antisocial behavior. It is particularly ideal for those working in criminology, psychology, law and law enforcement, public policy, and for social science students seeking to explore the nature and character of criminal social deviance. Includes twenty chapters across a diverse range of criminal and antisocial subject areas Authored by an international panel of experts in their respective fields that provide a multi-cultural perspective on the issues of crime and antisocial behavior Explores topics from both victim and offender perspectives Includes chapters covering research, practice, policy, mitigation, and prevention Provides an easy to read and consistent framework, making the text user-friendly as a ready-reference desktop guide

Written for an audience of applied researchers, clinical practitioners, community activists, and policymakers, this edited volume summarizes ongoing work at the Oregon Social Learning Center. Contributors make a powerful argument for an approach that pinpoints the antecedents of antisocial behavior all the way from toddlerhood through adolescence. This book will be of interest to anyone concerned about the quantifiable losses associated with behaviors such as violence and crime, incarceration, vocational failure, substance abuse, the use of emergency services, and irresponsible sexual conduct.

This book presents a comprehensive summary of how well adult crime, antisocial behaviour and antisocial personality disorder can be prevented by interventions applied early in life. It reviews important childhood risk and protective factors for these adult outcomes and the alternative strategies of primary prevention (targeting the whole community) and secondary prevention (targeting persons identified as high risk) are discussed. The book also contains extensive information about prevention programmes in pregnancy and infancy, pre-school programmes, parent education and training programmes, and school programmes (including the prevention of bullying). There is special emphasis on preventing the intergenerational transmission of antisocial behaviour by focusing on family violence, and a special review of whether risk factors and prevention programmes have different effects for females compared to males. Cost-benefit analyses of early prevention programmes are also reviewed, leading to the conclusion that adult antisocial behaviour can be prevented both effectively and cost-efficiently.

As reflected in the title, the purpose of this book is to guide clinicians in understanding and treating youth with severe antisocial behavior. Children and adolescents with conduct disorders operate at quite a high cost to society. In many opinion polls, juvenile crime and violence is rated as one of the most pressing concerns for many in our society. This widespread concern has prompted professionals from many disciplines to search for more effective interventions to prevent and treat youth with such disorders. This book is my attempt to summarize the current status of this very important endeavor. In providing this guide to clinicians, I have attempted to emphasize the critical link between understanding the clinical presentation, course, and causes of conduct disorders and designing effective interventions for children and adolescents with these disorders. Many past books, book chapters, and review articles have emphasized one or the other of these objectives. Some have provided excellent summaries of the vast amount of research on youth with conduct disorders without explicitly and clearly describing the clinical applica tions of this research. Others have focused on the implementation of specific interventions for youth with conduct disorders that is divorced from a basic understanding of the many diverse and clinically important characteristics of this population. The overriding theme of this book is that successful clinical inter vention requires an integration of both bodies of knowledge.

In the latter part of this century, an increasingly vigorous and sophisticated scientific study of antisocial behavior has emerged. This new science has offered partial answers to some very important questions which will lead to better understanding and prevention of antisocial behavior. In 50 chapters, more than 100 leading scientists, clinicians, and scholars review the research in their area of expertise to provide extraordinary extensive and deep coverage of the field in a single volume. The Handbook of Antisocial Behavior is an indispensable resource for mental health practitioners, as well as anyone involved in research into violence and aggression, including psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, public health professionals, epidemiologists, sociologists, and criminologists.

This intriguing new volume provides an understanding of the various forms of antisocial behavior in the workplace and how they can be identified and managed--if not prevented altogether. Antisocial Behavior in Organizations includes analysis of the role of frustration in antisocial behavior, and discusses issues such as employee revenge, aggression, lying, theft, and sabotage. Whistle blowing, litigation, and claiming are also explored as types of behavior that may be considered antisocial even though their stated goal is perhaps prosocial. The book concludes by making connections between antisocial behavior and organizational climate--addressing the need for modification in the workplace to reduce antisocial behavior. Academics, students, and practitioners in the fields of management, industrial/organizational psychology, sociology, social psychology, legal studies and criminal justice will appreciate this collection of original essays written by well-respected experts.

This comprehensive volume reviews and synthesizes a vast body of knowledge on maladaptive aggression and antisocial behavior in youth. Written from a clinical-developmental perspective, and integrating theory and research from diverse fields, the book examines the origins, development, outcomes, and treatment of this serious problem in contemporary society. Major topics addressed include the types and prevalence of aggressive and antisocial behavior; the interplay among neuropsychiatric, psychosocial, and neurobiological processes in etiology; known risk and protective factors; gender variables; and why and how some children "grow out of" conduct disturbances. Chapters also discuss current approaches to clinical assessment and diagnosis and review the evidence for widely used psychosocial and pharmacological interventions.