Antisocial Behavior: Personality Disorders from Hostility to Homicide [Paperback]

Benjamin B. Wolman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

Antisocial behavior takes on many forms, from rebellious teens with green hair and pierced skin to the truly dangerous homicidal individuals whose horrible stories fill our newspapers. Parents worry about their children as they are exposed to the heated climate of violence in contemporary society, a time of decaying morals and values. The rise in sociopathic behavior among adults and children, whether in tense inner cities or in tranquil suburban and rural settings, is masterfully chronicled by Dr Benjamin Wolman, a leading psychologist and noted national expert who has studied these trends for over half a century.'There is a growing incidence of sociopathic antisocial behavior ...coupled with an attitude of moral apathy', Dr. Wolman asserts. He cites international statistics pointing to a showdown between dangerous individuals - the violent, the charming, and the passive - and the societies that create them. How has the spread of democratic ideals actually increased the potential for antisocial behavior? What social and cultural factors must be changed if free societies are to reduce this alarming trend? Rather than simply complain about the problem, Dr Wolman examines the familial and societal causes, and proposes clear-cut solutions to the problem - including radical changes to our educational system and the mass media.

Product Details

• Paperback: 211 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 1 edition (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573927015
• ISBN-13: 978-1573927017
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #512,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

115 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the title of this book, August 8, 2001

By 

M. Spiller (Ashby, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Antisocial Behavior: Personality Disorders from Hostility to Homicide (Paperback)

This book does not live up to its title. The author presents a rambling and rather pointless meander explaining bad behavior in terms of societal breakdown. He spends half of his time lamenting the destruction of common moral and ethical traditions in American society. He spends the other half implying that a rise in the number of sociopathic individuals is responsible for the moral breakdown, while at the same time suggesting the inverse hypothesis that the moral breakdown is responsible for the rise in the population of sociopaths. At no time does he present any statistical evidence for the truth of his assertions. The book at times resembles more of a rant on sociology than a scholarly work on psychology. (I am a political conservative and for the most part agree with his assessment of social mores, but this type of evaluation does not belong in a book ostensibly about psychopathy, except as an aside.)

He does not define his terms. He sprays medical terminology throughout the text implying that the reader is supposed to know the meaning without so much as a contextual reference to their meaning. The author tosses out these words like a namedropper at a party. This sentence is typical; "The phylogenic cultural and the ontogenetic individual maturation are intrinsically interlocked with inhibitions." I'm a medical professional and know the meaning of ontology and phylogeny, but I really do not see how they apply to his subject. He seems more interested in impressing the reader with his vocabulary than in educating them.

There is no subjective structure to the book. Mental illnesses, as well as personality disorders (there is a difference) can be presented in an objective, orderly fashion. Each entity should be defined and given a consistent discussion of etiology (cause), distribution, treatment, and prognosis (likelihood of cure). This author does not do this. He presents his material in a haphazard fashion, interspersed with personal anecdotes that often seem to have nothing to do with the disease he is discussing.

This author is a Freudian psychoanalyst and assumes Freudian (societal) causes for psychopathy. Other modern authors (I read a lot of them) seem to agree that the predisposition for this personality disorder is congenital (occurring at or before birth), but that the expression of the disorder is modified by early environmental factors. I believe that this author is out of touch with more modern assessments in the field.

If you want a well written, orderly discussion of psychopathy, purchase "Without Conscience" by Robert D. Hare, PhD, or "Bad Boys, Bad Men" by Donald W. Black, M.D., which is particularly good if you are actualy in the throes of dealing with a problem individual.

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lucid and comprehensive study of deviant behavior!, March 28, 2002

By 

Srebrenica Forever (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Antisocial Behavior: Personality Disorders from Hostility to Homicide (Paperback)

Antisocial behavior is an extraordinarily well-written book. It reveals the psychological nature of the psychopaths. Moreover, Wolman makes an attempt to explain what factors give rise to antisocial behavior. Admittedly, he does this very well. Psychopaths are described as being indifferent, cunning, immoral, impulsive and insidious individuals. What is more, they usually show no signs of remorse for their gruesome deeds. The implication here is that they totally lack compassion for their fellow beings. Wolman unveils that psychopaths are narcissistic individuals; they have a tendency to think that they are entitled to other people's things and that they deserve to be loved. The above mentioned traits are thought to be characteristic of highly maladaptive individuals. However, Wolman also points to environmental determinants as possible causes of deviant behavior. Parents and teachers can sometimes contribute to the rise of antisocial and sociopathic behavior. Wolman emphasizes that hyper-permissive parents do not teach their children the importance of morality and consequently their children will fail to distinguish right from wrong. According to Wolman, the primary purpose of morality is to inhibit inborn instincts and impulses. Furthermore, the way that parents rear their children can be crucial. Parental rejection can adversely affect their children's self-confidence and self-reliance. Undeniably, these children will feel neglected and unwanted if their parents are not affectionate and considerate. Needless to say, abusive parents foster deviant behavior in myriad ways. Children of abusive parents are usually very aggressive, hostile and tend to hate their parents. These children cannot however behave aggressively toward their parents as they fear that they might retaliate. Instead, they behave aggressively toward weak people who are unable to fight back. In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to all students of psychology. It is very interesting and informative.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Social Disorder, June 25, 2003

By 

Sam Vaknin (Skopje, Macedonia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Antisocial Behavior: Personality Disorders from Hostility to Homicide (Paperback)

A Social Disorder

Wolman explores the foundations of antisocial behavior: pathological narcissism, self-indulgent culture, and promiscuous parenting. In an age of political correctness and moral relativism, the author does not hesitate to point to ethical upbringing as the solution. He traces the psychodynamics of deviant behavior back to childhood abuse and trauma - though he regrettably emphasizes nurture almost to the exclusion of nature. The book could use editing - but it is a worthwhile contribution to the topic. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited".