Sociopathy in Children: Signs, Causes, & Treatment

What Is Sociopathic Behavior?

While the terms “sociopath” and “psychopath” are commonly used, neither represents an official DSM-5 diagnosis. Instead, these interchangeable colloquialisms refer to an adult diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), a disorder characterized by a pervasive disregard for and violation of the rights of others.¹ Like all personality disorders, ASPD is a consistent pattern of behavior that deviates from the expectations of the person’s culture.

To receive a formal diagnosis of ASPD, a person must be above the age of 18 and have met the diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder (CD) since the age of 15. Therefore, children should not be considered sociopathic. Instead, children with CD exhibit a chronic pattern of antisocial and aggressive behaviors which involve intentionally and repeatedly disregarding others, major societal norms, or both.^{2, 3} They often experience significant psychosocial impairments within social relationships and academic achievement.

While it’s not appropriate or accurate to characterize children as sociopaths, as this term is stigmatizing and nonspecific, certain signs may indicate that a child is experiencing sociopathic traits which may or may not lead to an ASPD diagnosis as an adult.

Common signs of sociopathic traits in children include:

• Lack of remorse
• Impulsivity
• Manipulating others
• Violence or aggression
• Frequent lying
• Cruelty toward animals
• Stealing

Signs of Sociopathy in Children

While some level of selfishness and impulsivity is developmentally normal and expected in children, certain behaviors–such as violence, aggression, lying, lack of empathy, and disregarding authority–may indicate sociopathic or antisocial tendencies.

It’s important to note that in order to qualify as sociopathic, there must be a pattern of these behaviors–that is, they do not occur as isolated incidents. What differentiates these behaviors is their frequency, intensity, and duration, as well as how much they impact the child’s functioning.

Below are some common signs of sociopathic behavior in children:

Violence or Aggression

Displays of physical or verbal aggression, such as destruction of property, fire-setting, cruelty toward animals, and extreme bullying, may indicate sociopathic behavior in children. These actions go beyond developmentally normal childhood anger, which is often impulsive or unintentional. Instead, these children tend to be callous and deliberate, and experience some form of gratification for the harm they’ve caused. They tend to engage in these behaviors simply because they can or for the fun of it.

Frequent Lying

Children exhibiting sociopathic traits will often lie simply because they can, even if nothing is to be gained, and they do so without guilt or remorse. Whereas a typical child may occasionally lie to get out of trouble or prevent themselves from shame, children with sociopathic tendencies often exhibit pathological lying and may lie to obtain goods, manipulate others, avoid obligations, or for fun.

Lack of Empathy or Remorse

Children who chronically do not feel sorry when people around them are hurting may be exhibiting sociopathic traits. These children typically won’t understand why someone might be upset, and may seem cold and uncaring in the face of others’ suffering.

Disregard for Authority

Because children exhibiting sociopathic traits don’t consider or care about the consequences of their actions, they often disregard authority figures. For example, these children may rebel against parents, teachers, or the police without reason by deliberately ignoring directions. Whereas non-sociopathic children tend to learn from the consequences of their behavior, children exhibiting sociopathic traits won’t adjust future behavior based on feedback or repercussions.

No Differentiation Between Right & Wrong

Most children struggle at times to differentiate between right and wrong. However, children exhibiting sociopathic traits demonstrate a chronic lack of understanding and caring. They may intimidate, manipulate, steal, destruct, or commit minor crimes despite warning or previous punishment.

Self-Isolation

Children with sociopathic tendencies tend to isolate themselves socially by withdrawing from parents, family, and others. They may seem unable and uninterested to form close attachments and typically won’t have any close relationships.

Possible Causes of Sociopathic Behavior in Children

More research is necessary to fully understand what influences the development of sociopathic traits in children. However, it is believed that these behaviors are caused by a number of interactive factors including a child’s environment, genetics, and brain development.

Sociopathy in children may be caused by:

Environmental Factors

Children may develop sociopathic traits as a result of adversities such as childhood trauma, sexual or emotional abuse, having an alcohol or substance-dependent parent, or experiencing inconsistent or harsh punishment. Another risk factor is exposure to media violence–that is, any media portraying characters deliberately trying to harm others. This factor has been shown to increase the likelihood of aggressive and antisocial behaviors.⁴

Parenting styles are particularly significant.³ In fact, parental harshness alone has been found to increase children’s aggressive behaviors and sociopathic traits.⁵ Interestingly, permissive environments in which parents exhibit less control may also contribute to the development of sociopathic traits.³

Genetics

While no specific gene has been linked to sociopathic traits in children, genetic factors have been shown to contribute to their development. Studies suggest that approximately 50% of the total variance in antisocial behavior is explained by genetic influences.⁶ While more research is necessary, it appears that the serotonin transporter gene is a candidate for genetics research on psychopathy.⁷

It is important to note that not all children with a genetic predisposition will develop antisocial traits. The outcome is largely dependent on gene-environment interaction. For example, peer or paternal influences (such as modeling and approval of physical aggression) in combination with a genetic predisposition can increase the likelihood a child will develop aggressive traits characteristic of sociopathy.⁶

Brain Development & Functioning

Research has found that children with conduct disorders may have an impairment in the frontal lobe of the brain, which can interfere with their ability to plan, avoid harm, and learn from negative experiences.⁸

The neurotransmitter serotonin has been linked with impulsive and aggressive behavior. Thus, dysfunctional or abnormal levels may contribute to the development of sociopathic behavior.⁷ Finally, the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes, which help regulate mood and behavior, may contribute as well.⁹

Treatment for Sociopathy in Children

While sociopathic behaviors in children cannot necessarily be “cured,” they can be managed with proper treatment. Because of sociopathy’s complexity, treatment usually takes time. However, early intervention can prevent children’s behaviors from escalating, reducing the likelihood of unwanted outcomes. Parental involvement is crucial, with sociopathic traits in children being largely influenced by their parents’ or caregivers’ behavior.

Treatment options for a child with sociopathy include:

Therapy

While psychotherapy is typically the front-line approach to treating sociopathic behaviors, children often resist participation as they don’t believe their behaviors are problematic. Parent participation is a large part of the treatment for sociopathic traits in children. No matter the treatment modality, caregivers can receive guidance on how to better parent a child with sociopathic traits and develop plans for disciplining unwanted behaviors.

Therapy options for childhood sociopathy include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for kids examines the way thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are shaped by preconceived notions and one’s environment. CBT can help children with sociopathic traits challenge core beliefs about themselves and the world, and identify automatic thoughts that contribute to unhealthy behaviors.
• Family therapy: Family therapy aims to reduce distress in the family system by helping members learn new ways of working together and managing challenges. It can help them address more systemic family challenges that may be contributing to the child’s sociopathic tendencies.
• Parent management training (PMT): PMT involves training parents to improve their child’s behavior at home by promoting prosocial behaviors and decreasing antisocial ones. This treatment is based on the view that antisocial behaviors are developed and sustained in the home by maladaptive parent-child interactions.¹⁰
• Functional family therapy (FFT): The goal of FFT is to alter interactions and communication patterns to foster more adaptive functioning.¹⁰
• Multisystemic therapy (MST): MST is delivered in the day-to-day environment (such as home or school) by a treatment team consisting of a therapist, case manager, and behavior management specialist. The goal of this treatment is to improve family functioning, increase the child’s association with prosocial peers. It also focuses on their emotion regulation, problem-solving skills, and school performance.³

Medications

There is no medication that specifically treats sociopathy in children. However, certain prescriptions can help treat comorbid conditions when used alongside psychotherapy. For example, stimulants traditionally used for ADHD can reduce impulsive aggression in children with both conduct disorder and ADHD, thereby decreasing sociopathic symptoms.³

How to Support a Child With Sociopathic Behaviors

While it may feel challenging, it’s important to find ways to show love and support for a child exhibiting sociopathic behaviors. Validating their feelings, reinforcing prosocial behaviors, and building on their strengths are all valuable strategies. Caregivers can also support their children by seeking therapy for themselves and practicing self-care.

Here are some ways to support a child presenting with sociopathic traits:

• Educate yourself: Learning about sociopathy and conduct disorder can help you understand your child’s experience and avoid stigmatizing them.
• Seek therapy for yourself: Caregivers may experience mental health challenges or parental burnout when supporting a child with sociopathic behaviors. Being in one’s own therapy can help caregivers take care of themselves so they can better care for their child.
• Validate their feelings: It’s important to communicate to children that what they’re experiencing is valid so that they feel loved, supported, and seen. Keep in mind that you don’t need to agree with how your child acts in order to do so. You can validate an emotion without encouraging the accompanying antisocial behavior.
• Reinforce any positive changes: Praise or reward your child when they engage in a positive behavior, such as spending time with family instead of disengaging or withdrawing. To do this effectively with an antisocial child, identify what motivates them and use this as incentivization.
• Model emotion identification and regulation: Children internalize behaviors that are modeled for them, so it’s particularly helpful to demonstrate the process of identifying and regulating emotions.
• Build on existing strengths: All children have unique strengths. Consider what your child cares about or is interested in and have them participate in these kinds of activities. Doing so helps them build a sense of self-worth and puts them in situations with prosocial peers.
• Avoid harsh punishment: You may struggle to get your child to engage in healthy activities and reduce sociopathic behaviors. Instead of using harsh punishment (which may exacerbate sociopathic behaviors), try aligning with your child and helping them see that you’re on the same side.
• Spend more time together: While it may be scary and exhausting to parent a child with sociopathic tendencies, it’s important to continue spending time with your child by helping with homework, eating meals together, and involving them in family activities.
• Encourage them to be open about their feelings: Making sure children know it’s safe to share how they’re feeling–without being forced to do so–encourages emotional vulnerability, closeness, and processing.

Final Thoughts

Children exhibiting sociopathic traits may be experiencing conduct disorder and require significant support to adopt more prosocial behaviors. While challenging to deal with, the sooner caregivers seek treatment for their child, the better the outcome they can expect.