Survey finds psychopaths’ behavior doesn’t improve with age

The behavior of psychopaths does not improve with age. Article about it published In the International Journal of Criminal Therapy and Comparative Criminology.

In the study, scientists from the University of Otago, New Zealand interviewed more than 1,200 partners, family members, and psychopath friends.

“There is an opinion that those who violate social norms gradually become extinct and abandon the anti-social lifestyle. But our study shows that people with psychopathic traits protect them into their 50s, and some become even more manipulative and deceptive as they get older,” said study co-author Martin Sellbom.

A total of 935 people with psychopathic features were studied. 99 percent of loved ones thought they were manipulative, 94 percent accused them of antisocial behavior, 89 percent reported psychological abuse, and 58 percent reported monetary abuse. Also, 47 percent of loved ones described psychopaths as violent.

However, age did nothing to fix this. One woman wrote of her ex-husband: “As he got older, he became more violent. He lied, cheated, stole and used people. The older he got, the less he seemed to care about hiding his behavior and overtly enjoy violence.”

Another participant wrote about her mother: “Nothing has changed. He abuses people, lies, throws tantrums, gets angry, defames others, threatens, and resorts to physical violence if he has physical strength.

Many reported over 50 serious injuries from psychopaths: 68 percent lost money, 45 went into debt because of them, 26 were physically abused or injured, and 27 were life-threatening.

The authors warn that psychopaths are not inclined to change their behavior and that others should consider this when choosing a life strategy.