Understanding ASPD: The Personality Disorder That Enables Cruelty Without Empathy

Psychologist Samanta Clara Elsener, S.Psi, M.Psi, states that certain personality disorders can cause individuals to act cruelly towards others. This condition can even drive repeated violence without the emergence of guilt.

Samanta explains that in psychology, this condition is known as Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). In lay terms, this is often associated with the labels psychopath or sociopath.

“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 on Thursday (25/6).

According to Samanta, ASPD cannot be equated merely with being fierce, angry, or temperamental. She describes the condition as a serious mental disorder that affects how a person processes emotions and relates to others.

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

Samanta noted that individuals with antisocial personality disorder are generally manipulative, find it difficult to empathise, and view others as tools to satisfy their own needs or interests.

In such a state, a person can harm others without feeling guilty. She identified the lack of remorse as one of the most prominent characteristics.

“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,” she explained.

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

Samanta’s explanation comes amidst intense scrutiny regarding the case of a 29-year-old woman who was 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 extremely cruel abuse during that period. During that time, the perpetrator reportedly frequently moved the victim from one boarding house to another in the Cileunyi area, Bandung Regency, to avoid suspicion from local residents.

Samanta emphasised that individuals with antisocial personality disorder may feel no moral restraint when committing violence. In her view, the absence of empathy and guilt causes victims to be treated not as humans, but as objects to serve the perpetrator’s interests.

This explanation demonstrates that repeated violence should be understood not only as a criminal act but also as behaviour that may be linked to serious personality patterns. Nevertheless, handling cases of violence still requires legal processes, victim protection, and professional examination to understand the psychological conditions of the parties involved.