Antisocial Personality Disorder Can Trigger Repeated Violence Without Remorse

Psychologist Samanta Clara Elsener states that certain personality disorders can cause individuals to act cruelly towards others, including committing repeated acts of violence without feeling any guilt.

“In psychology, we recognise the term Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), which the general public often refers to as a psychopath or sociopath,” said the member of the Indonesian Psychological Association, as reported by Antara on Wednesday (24/6).

Samanta emphasised that this condition cannot be equated with being aggressive or easily angered. According to her, antisocial personality disorder is a serious mental disorder that affects how a person processes emotions and relates to others.

“This is not merely a fierce or angry character, but a serious mental disorder. People with this condition have a different brain structure in processing emotions, which results in a lack of empathy,” she said.

According to Samanta, individuals with antisocial personality disorder typically exhibit manipulative behaviour, find it difficult to empathise, and tend to view others as tools to satisfy their own needs or interests.

She explained that someone with this condition can hurt others without feeling any regret. This absence of guilt allows violent behaviour to occur repeatedly.

“They lack remorse, have no empathy, are skilled at manipulating, and view others not as fellow human beings, but as objects to satisfy their own satisfaction or needs,” said Samanta.

“Therefore, when they inflict suffering, they truly do not feel a moral compass alerting them that the action is wrong,” she added.

This explanation comes amidst attention towards the case of a 29-year-old woman who was found to be a victim of confinement and severe physical abuse for three years.

The woman, from Bandung Regency, had reportedly lost contact with her family since 2023. She was later found in critical condition in a hospital after being held captive and abused by her partner for three years.

To her father, the victim admitted to experiencing extraordinarily cruel abuse over the last three years. During that period, the perpetrator reportedly frequently moved the victim from one boarding house to another in the Cileunji area, Bandung Regency, to avoid suspicion from local residents.