This diagnosis is sometimes given the names "psychopathic personality" or "sociopathic personality" or "dyssocial personality." People with the disorder are deceitful and manipulative; they may be charming and accomplished liars, what we think of as the typical "con man" (or woman). In more extreme cases, they are overt criminals. In either case, they are often arrested, and many people with ASPD are in jail. They are both reckless and irresponsible. They show little ability to plan for or work toward remote goals. They rationalize hurting other people by saying that everyone does it, that the victim deserved it, etc. Much of their antisocial behavior is directed toward obtaining the usual goals--money, sex, and power. Thus their disorder lies not in their goals, but in their means of obtaining them!

If the person with ASPD lives into his or her 40s, her or his aggressive and criminal behaviors are likely to decrease, along with the other symptoms of ASPD. Little is known about whether it can be prevented by giving therapy to high risk children (who show early signs of conduct disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), but there are clear indications that bad parenting increases the probability that conduct disorder will lead to ASPD. It is likely that family and individual therapy for high risk children would be a good bet for both the individual and society.

Click here to read about one case of antisocial personality.