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- Title
'Biologizing' Psychopathy: Ethical, Legal, and Research Implications at the Interface of Epigenetics and Chronic Antisocial Conduct.
- Authors
Tamatea, Armon J.
- Abstract
Epigenetics, a field that links genetics and environmental influences on the expression of phenotypic traits, offers to increase our understanding of the development and trajectory of disease and psychological disorders beyond that thought of traditional genetic research and behavioural measures. By extension, this new perspective has implications for risk and risk management of antisocial behaviour where there is a biological component, such as psychopathy. Psychopathy is a personality disorder associated with repeat displays of antisocial behaviour, and is associated with the disproportionate imposition of harm on communities. Despite advances in our knowledge of psychopathic individuals, the construct remains complex and is hampered by a lack of integration across a range of fundamental domains. The clinical and forensic research on psychopathy is brought into conversation with the emerging field of epigenetics to highlight critical issues of (1) clinical definition and diagnosis, (2) assessment, (3) aetiology of psychopathic phenotypes, and (4) treatment and rehabilitation approaches. Broader ethical and legal questions of the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the management of psychopathy beyond the criminal justice arena are also outlined.
- Subjects
PSYCHOPATHY; EPIGENETICS; ANTISOCIAL personality disorders; HUMAN biology; LAW &; ethics; DELINQUENT behavior; PSYCHOPATHS; HUMAN phenotype; ETHICS; GENETICS; PSYCHOLOGY; EPIGENOMICS; PSYCHOLOGICAL factors; THERAPEUTICS
- Publication
Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 2015, Vol 33, Issue 5, p629
- ISSN
0735-3936
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1002/bsl.2201