Citation

de Barros DM, de Pádua Serafim A. Forensic Sci. Int. 2008; 179(1): 19-22.

Affiliation

Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Rua Ovídio Pires de Campos 785, Sao Paulo, SP, 05403-010, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.04.013

PMID

18524516

Abstract

Personality disorders are associated with criminality and antisocial and borderline personalities as strong predictors of violence. Nevertheless antisocial patients show more instrumental violence, while borderline patients more emotional violence. We surveilled medical records of a personality disorder facility, searching data of aggression and crimes against property among 11 patients with antisocial personality disorder and 19 borderline personality disorder. We found that there are differences regarding engagement in violence and lawbreaking according to the personality disorder: antisocial patients statistically engage more in crimes against property than the borderline patients, and more in this kind of crime than in aggression, whilst borderline patients show a tendency to engage more in episodes of aggression and physical violence than antisocial patients, and less in crimes against property. We conclude that the distinct personality leads to a distinct pattern of crimes and violence: antisocial patients are cold and get more involved in crimes requiring more detailed planning, whilst borderline patients are impulsive and engage in explosive episodes of physical violence. Further studies on the association among personality disorder, behavior pattern and violence type may be useful for both treatment and criminal profiling.

Language: en