In most communities, people who constantly break the law or hurt others are often sociopaths. Typically, sociopathy is linked to deviant and harmful behavior characterized by deceit, drug/substance use, crime, and violence. In this sense, most people identified as sociopaths cannot normally live with others and take care of their responsibilities. Regardless of how they are mostly depicted in popular media, all sociopaths do not exhibit the same behaviors. For instance, passive sociopaths almost normally disguise their weaknesses with superficial charm and charisma (Illievski & Illievska (2020). On the other hand, other sociopaths lack conscience, are violent, and remain non-remorseful about their actions. From a clinical perspective, sociopathic behavior is associated with psychological disorders, and hence, it is identified as Antisocial Personality Disorder. Like most mental illnesses, ASPD develops during childhood, whereby children manifest sociopathic tendencies. The main symptoms observed in children affected by ASPD include the following.
- Failure to recognize right or wrong
Although children at a very young age may not recognize the nature of their actions, children between 6 and 10 years at least know what they should do. Regardless, children with ASPD do not recognize the difference between right and wrong, and in such circumstances, they do whatever they think is right for them, even if it is not in reality (Fisher et al., 2021).
- Lack of empathy
Since children lack experience and are not as psychologically stable as adults, they are very emotional. Nevertheless, sociopathic children lack empathy and act without considering how others feel and think about them. In this case, sociopathic children have strained relationships with their peers, siblings, and parents.
- Irresponsibility
Children are normally taught how to care for themselves and others as they grow. However, sociopathic children always consider their interests first and are determined to do anything to attain such wants, even with such teachings. In this case, they are irresponsible and inconsiderate of other children’s welfare. Much worse, sociopathic children are more likely to risk their lives by engaging in criminal activities, unprotected sex, and drugs (Pisano et al., 2017). Even when they cause harm or suffer due to such behavior, sociopathic children do not learn and are more likely to repeat the same actions.
- Aggression, violence, and poor relations
Since sociopathic children lack empathy, they are more often hostile and aggressive toward others and remain isolated from other children and family members. Due to isolation, children affected by ASPD perceive their peers as enemies and cause their problems. Therefore, they employ violence, arrogance, and intimidation to exert their authority and deception to fulfill their interests. Gradually, such behavior interferes with their ability to create and maintain meaningful relationships.
Nursing management
Since sociopathic behavior is attributed to ASPD, a clinical approach is the most suitable way to care for sociopathic children. Although most childhood behaviors resemble the symptoms linked to ASPD, studies point out that ASPD affects 1-4% of children in the United States. According to Pisano et al. (2017), children develop ASPD due to unusual brain alterations, unfavorable life situations, and genetic changes. On the other hand, physical and psychological abuse, poor upbringing, and a family history of conduct disorders are among the most prominent risk factors related to the problem. ‘
The first step in providing care for sociopathic children involves diagnosing them for ASPD or other mental disorders. However, since the DSM-5 manual applies to patients aged above 18 years, health providers can only rely on medical history and psychological evaluation to establish whether a child suffers from ASPD. Extensive studies indicate that boys are more likely to exhibit symptoms earlier than girls, who often show signs of conduct disorder (CD) during adolescence (Fisher et al., 2021).
If the diagnosis shows that the child is affected by ASPD, they embark on treatment that involves various processes. Firstly, the nurse or any relevant health provider develops a close relationship with the child and educates them on their condition and the importance of treatment. Health providers modify the child’s perception and behavior through CBT during this process. On the other hand, pharmacological options such as SSRIs are administered if CBT seems ineffective or when the child is too violent. According to Fisher et al. (2021), hospitalizing patients affected by ASPD increases the risk of more aggression and other sociopathic behaviors in psychiatric sections due to isolation. In this case, all processes involved in providing care must enrich environments where children can develop positive outlooks on themselves, others, society, and life.
Community health resources
As stated, addressing ASPD in children involves numerous and complex processes. Due to this situation, families whose children are affected by ASPD require more resources and parental and nursing care. Communities should have structures and resources to address the issue in these circumstances. Firstly, community child welfare societies like CBCAP (Community –Based Child Abuse Prevention) are vital in preventing child abuse, neglect, and other factors that trigger sociopathic behaviors (McKinley & Fliss, 2019). Secondly, social workers are important in that they are involved in diagnosing and developing effective treatment approaches for children with ASPD. Besides, family members and relatives can work together with health providers and caseworkers to identify children with sociopathic behaviors and intervene before their situations worsen. Lastly, local administration is responsible for providing the necessary resources to educate the public about addressing sociopathic behavior in children.
Reference
Fisher, K. A., Hany, M., & Doerr, C. (2021). Antisocial Personality Disorder (Nursing). In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved 23 October 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK568730/
Ilievski, N., & Ilievska, A. (2020). Passive Sociopathy. European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 5(3), 38-46. Retrieved 23 October 2021 from https://journals.euser.org/index.php/ejms/article/view/4909
McKinley, S., & Fliss, J. (2019). Strengthening Family Connections to Help Families Thrive. Retrieved 23 October 2021, from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2019/04/strengthening-family-connections-help-families-thrive
Pisano, S., Muratori, P., Gorga, C., Levantini, V., Iuliano, R., Catone, G., Coppola, G., Milone, A., & Masi, G. (2017). Conduct disorders and psychopathy in children and adolescents: etiology, clinical presentation and treatment strategies of callous-unemotional traits. Italian journal of pediatrics, 43(1), 84. Retrieved 23 October 2021 from https:// https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5607565/
