- Female psychopaths underrecognized
- Behaviors differ from males
- Research bias towards males
Not to mention violent criminals, on-screen psychopaths such as Tom Ripley and Patrick Bateman are typically male.
This may bolster the notion that the overwhelming majority of psychopaths are male, but an academic now argues that this perception may be erroneous.
Dr. Clive Boddy, an expert at Anglia Ruskin University, asserts that female psychopaths are “more prevalent than we realise” due to the fact that studies have long been unable to identify them.
According to Dr. Boddy, indications of psychopathy in women differ from those in men and often manifest as manipulative and sexually seductive behaviour.
Spreading false information or rumours and “verbally expressing violence” through shouting or yelling are additional warning signs.
Female psychopaths depicted on screen do indeed exist, as exemplified by the characters Villanelle (Jodie Comer) and Alex Forrest (portrayed by Glenn Close) in the BBC series Killing Eve.
Dr. Boddy posits that females are more likely than male psychopaths to utilise deceit and sexually seductive behaviour to attain social and financial advantages.
“Psychopaths are motivated by a desire to exert control and authority over others using any means at their disposal,” he explained.
Male psychopaths may exhibit physical dominance through the use of threats, violence, and intimidation.
This may progress to manipulation through seduction, relational aggression, and the dissemination of rumours and lies about individuals with the intention of obtaining personal advantage and favour with those individuals, according to females.
Individuals often attribute generic psychopathic features including lack of honesty, duplicity, aggression, empathy, and emotional depth to men rather than women.
“Even when females exhibit some of the key characteristics associated with psychopathy, they may not be labelled as such, even when they should be,” he explained. This is due to the perception that these are male characteristics.
According to recent scientific research, the proportion of male psychopaths is approximately six times that of females.
However, according to Dr. Boddy, the actual ratio of male to female psychopathy is approximately 1.2 to 1, which is five times greater than previously estimated.
“Little is known about female psychopaths due to a dearth of research on this population,” he explained.
Psychopathy symptoms commonly observed in females, according to the scholar, are sexual in nature and consist of flirtation, seduction, and manipulation.
Psychopathic women are also violent, but their aggression is typically verbal as opposed to physical; for instance, they may yell, curse, or shriek.
Therefore, it is more subtle than the typically more visceral violence exhibited by male psychopaths.
“Also, female psychopaths achieve their objectives through the use of words as opposed to violence, which is in contrast to the way male psychopaths operate,” he added.
The scholar is apprehensive that research efforts may be falling short in identifying female psychopaths due to their predominant reliance on criminal and male psychopath profiles.
A part of the issue pertains to the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, a commonly employed diagnostic tool for psychopathy that exhibits a bias towards detecting indicators of psychopathy in males.
“Measures designed to capture and identify male, criminal psychopaths may be insufficient in identifying female non-criminal psychopaths if female psychopathy manifests differently,” he stated.
This may affect the criminal justice system, as it might flaw current risk management decisions concerning partners and children.
Furthermore, this raises concerns regarding the selection process for organisational leadership, as it is not safe to assume that female leaders are inherently more trustworthy, empathetic, or concerned with matters pertaining to corporate social responsibility.
Dr. Boddy will deliver a presentation on female psychopaths at the Cambridge Festival on 16 March. In support of his claim that there are more female psychopaths than previously believed, he will draw on evidence from his own research as well as other studies.
The expert, who has studied the effects of psychopaths in the workplace since 2005, recently outlined the most significant indicators that your supervisor is a psychopath.
These encompass qualities such as “superficial charm,” absence of sincerity or remorse, propensity for infidelity, and emotional shallowness.
