Expert surprised with this statement: There are many more female psychopaths than we thought

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When you hear the word “psychopath”, you probably first think of characters like US serial killer Ted Bundy or the character Jack Torrance in the movie “The Shining” (1980). The word is likely to be associated with dangerous, dominant men. Women rarely appear in this context. But a British expert in this field claims that women are much more likely to suffer from neuropsychiatric disease than previously thought.

People classified as psychopaths are generally thought to lack empathy and guilt. They have difficulty empathizing with others, lie frequently, and become cruel, narcissistic and manipulative. “Psychopaths are after money, power and control,” Clive Boddy of Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge told British newspaper The Guardian.

“The behavior is much more subtle.”

An expert on psychopaths in business has researched this area several times and believes psychopaths are no longer viewed simply as violent, antisocial criminals. This idea gave way to a different view. But Boddy confirms that when people think of psychopaths, they still primarily imagine men.

According to Boddy, female psychopathy is much more subtle but exists in significant numbers. “The behavior of female psychopaths appears to be more complex, which is why they are not as widely recognized.” Here’s why: One section of a test to identify psychopathic traits — the Levenson Self-Report Scale for Psychopathy (LSRP) — has historically targeted men.

A small but growing number of researchers have examined the specific characteristics of female psychopaths. Major differences from the male counterpart emerged.

The results show that women express violence verbally rather than physically. According to Boddy, violence is more interpersonal and emotional in nature. As an example, the expert cites spreading rumors or spreading lies to gain personal advantage. The results show that women are more likely to bully their co-workers. But physical violence rarely occurs.

Another notable difference in gender comparison is when behavioral problems begin. Antisocial behavior begins more frequently in childhood in men and in adolescence in women. Therefore, recognizable behavioral problems in women tend to appear later.

In general, the violent and antisocial characteristics of the women studied focused more on their immediate social environment, such as their families. This is a finding confirmed by the results of German studies.

Previous estimates put the ratio of male psychopaths to female psychopaths at 10:1. But Boddy’s study, using different criteria, suggests the numbers look completely different. “The ratio is almost one to one,” he comments on his results. These results are especially important from a scientific perspective. These can affect how a person detects and treats misconduct in society, Boddy says.

Overall, 1 to 3 percent of the world’s population is affected by psychopathy.

Source : Blick