Anti-Social Behavior Indicators
Definition
Antisocial behaviors are disruptive acts characterized by covert and overt hostility and intentional aggression toward others. Antisocial Behaviors exist along a severity continuum and include repeated violations of social rules, defiance of authority and of the rights of others, deceitfulness, theft, and reckless disregard for self and others.
Description
Antisocial behavior may be overt, involving aggressive actions against siblings, peers, parents, teachers, or other adults, such as verbal abuse, bullying and hitting; or covert, involving aggressive actions against property, such as theft, vandalism, and fire-setting.
Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Antisocial personality disorder signs and symptoms may include:
- Disregard for right and wrong.
- Persistent lying or deceit to exploit others.
- Using charm or with to manipulate others for personal gain or for sheer personal pleasure.
Intense egocentrism, sense of superiority and exhibitionism. - Recurring difficulties with the law.
- Repeatedly violating the rights of others by the use of intimidation, dishonesty and misrepresentation.
- Child abuse or neglect.
- hostility, significant irritability, agitation, impulsiveness, aggression or violence.
- lack of empathy for others and lack of remorse about harming others.
- unnecessary risk taking or dangerous behaviors.
- Poor or abusive relationships.
- Irresponsible work behavior.
- Failure to learn from the negative consequences of behavior.
Antisocial personality disorder symptoms may begin in childhood and are fully evident for most people during their 20s and 30s.
Symptoms of Antisocial personality Disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is diagnosed when a person’s pattern of antisocial behavior has occurred since age 15 (although only adults 18 years or older can be diagnosed with this disorder) and consists of the majority of these symptoms:
Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
- Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
- Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
- Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
- Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
- Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
- Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
