Correctional Officers – Empathy in Psychopaths
Correctional employees need to take into consideration that
working with psychopathic criminals takes some special management styles and security
techniques in order to be an effective supervisor or manager. We must become
aware how psychopaths process their minds to the environment and how they pose
a significant threat to society as well as everyone inside a large jail or
prison. Empathy is the capacity to recognize emotions that are being
experienced by another being. One may need to have a certain amount of empathy
before being able to experience accurate sympathy or compassion.
Whether we want to admit it or not they are capable and more
likely to inflict more harm or pain to you or anyone else than any other type
of inmate you are working with inside the penitentiary. I suggest this includes
the mentally ill persons. Take in consideration that research has revealed a
significant pattern of behavior that diagnosed psychopaths have “reduced
empathy” while witnessing the pains of others or while committing crimes.
Research showed that although they can activate their empathic side of the
mind, they chose not do so so “automatically” like many others do. Feeling what
other feel. Empathy is the ability to not only detect what others feel but also
to experience that emotion yourself.
This is very disturbing for the correctional officers and
others as it predicts a pattern of behavior that might endanger them
immediately upon confrontation of a problem and explain how some of these type
of criminals engage in the excessive violent acts with some type of spontaneous
action such as gang beatdowns that are ruthless and senseless in nature as well
as technique as it is designed to inflict as much pain and harm humanly
possible within a very short period of time hoping not to be caught in the
act. This also explains “why psychopathic
individuals can be callous and socially cunning at the same time.”
This research of the brain conducted on these types of
incarcerated psychopaths indicated there are reasonable chances they are more
likely to hurt others much unlike those individuals that experience the feeling
of empathy automatically. They are capable of inflicting more pain and harm
therefore justifying a higher custody level for closer supervision of their
behaviors or conduct. Hence we are dealing with a reduced level of empathy and
a more spontaneous action that makes them volatile and unpredictable at times.
The research “At first, this seems to suggest that
psychopathic criminals might hurt others more easily than we do, because they
do not feel pain, when they see the pain of their victims. The brain data
suggests, that by default, psychopathic individuals feel less empathy than
others. If they try to empathize, however, they can switch to 'empathy mode”
and perhaps be able to consider the other person’s feelings better.
The research goes on to say “There might be two sides to
these findings. The darker side is that reduced spontaneous empathy together
with a preserved capacity for empathy might be the cocktail that makes these
individuals so callous when harming their victims and at the same time so
socially cunning when they try to seduce their victims. Whether individuals
with psychopathy autonomously switch their empathy mode on and off depending on
the requirements of a social situation however remains to be established.” The
other side may indicate that therapy could impact their ability to engage
empathy and do so reducing their violent behaviors and reducing recidivism
rates by self-control of their own emotions and actions.
Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130724200412.htm?goback=%2Egde_2391527_member_271923541#%21
