The behaviors that we carry out in an individual way as a member of a society, can serve to preserve and maintain the coexistence as well as to disturb it, or to alter the climate and the harmony of this one. That is, there are prosocial behaviours and also antisocial behaviours .

Throughout this article we will review the conception and characteristics of antisocial behaviour, as well as the risk factors and diagnoses associated with it.

What is antisocial behaviour?

By antisocial behaviour we understand the set of behaviours, practices or actions that have as an objective the disturbance of the social order or the aggression to it . In the same way, all those discourses that encourage this type of acts are also considered part of antisocial behaviour.

Traditionally, these acts and behaviors have been categorized as transgressions, abuses, infractions or crimes judged and sanctioned both by the law and by society in general.

People with antisocial behaviour can establish the focus of their actions both in other people’s spaces or properties, through acts of vandalism, theft or robbery, and with the intention of harming others through aggression, attacks and offences, as well as abuse and harassment.

What are its main characteristics?

The main problem that exists is the need to establish what can be considered antisocial behaviour and what cannot, since the definition of antisocial behaviour as any behaviour or conduct that violates social norms or people’s rights encompasses too great a number and variety of acts.

For example, it is not the same to judge as antisocial behavior a mugging, as a wall painting, as a demonstration against some law or unfair situation. However, all of them are aimed at altering the established order.

The fact that there is so much flexibility in interpreting certain behaviours as antisocial behaviour is a problem in today’s society. Furthermore, there is a perception that in recent years the number of antisocial behaviours has increased considerably, perhaps in response to the social and economic changes and phenomena experienced.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account that in each culture or society can determine a series of established guidelines or norms that regulate in an approximate way which behaviours are considered as an aggression or attack to society and which are not.

However, there are a number of factors that may be useful in assessing and distinguishing an antisocial performance:

  • Evaluation of the severity of the acts.
  • Evaluation of performance in terms of deviation from socially established guidelines.
  • Sociocultural context in which it takes place .

Taking these factors into account, we can determine that, at the moment, there are no clear and objective criteria to serve as a guide to evaluate and qualify antisocial behaviour, as well as to determine exactly which acts should be removed from this label.

In spite of this, we can establish that antisocial behaviors are those acts that infringe the rules or social norms that regulate coexistence, as long as they present a higher degree of severity than all those behaviors that are carried out in people’s daily lives.

What causes them or what risk factors are there?

Another field that some disciplines such as sociology, psychology, criminology or even legislation are investigating is both the causes and the risk factors that may predispose the general population to engage in any type of antisocial behaviour.

Although the exact reasons why a person may develop antisocial behavior are not known, there are a number of risk factors that may increase the likelihood of developing antisocial behavior.

These factors are divided into individual, family and contextual factors.

1. Individual factors

Elements such as temperament or personality , as well as impulsivity and attention problems or difficulty in adapting to changes may be basic risk factors for the development of antisocial behaviour.

Similarly, a lack of problem-solving skills, poor school or social adjustment, and a lack of socio-cognitive skills, make it difficult for the person to find effective and satisfactory alternatives in conflict resolution beyond antisocial behaviors.

2. Family factors

Family environment as well as parenting styles are essential in encouraging the emergence or development of antisocial behaviors. Experiences such as separation from parents, changes in home, or experiences of more extreme situations of abuse or domestic violence can be triggers for these behaviors.

In addition, inappropriate parenting styles such as very permissive or authoritarian styles can also have a strong effect on them.

3. Environmental factors

The socio-cultural context, the influence of the media, of the school, the peer groups or some institutions, groups or associations can also favour or encourage aggressive, violent or angry reactions from some people.

Associated diagnoses

Although these behaviours do not have to occur as a consequence of or in association with any psychological pathology or disorder. There are a number of diagnoses in which this type of behaviour appears repeatedly.

1. Antisocial personality disorder

According to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), antisocial personality disorder is defined by the appearance of a pattern of behaviour that reveals a general disregard for the rules and rights of others .

The main symptoms or signs of this diagnosis include rule breaking, cheating and manipulation as the main features of this disorder. As well as impulsivity, lack of remorse or lack of concern for the safety of others.

In order for such a diagnosis to be made, the person must be over 18 years old, otherwise it is considered a dissociative personality disorder.

2. Dissociative personality disorder

In this second case, the behaviours are practically the same as those of antisocial personality disorder, but with the difference that they are manifested at an earlier age, specifically in childhood or during adolescence .

These behaviors categorized as antisocial must be recurrent and qualitatively much more serious than the typical rebellious behaviors expected at that age.