Psychopathy | Jotup

Access and attention: why serial killers like Lucy Letby often work in healthcare

Retrieved on:

Thursday, August 31, 2023

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While they’re very rare, serial killer healthcare workers often share common traits, and they target a specific, and very vulnerable, victim pool.

Key Points:

While they’re very rare, serial killer healthcare workers often share common traits, and they target a specific, and very vulnerable, victim pool.
While limited research has been conducted on serial killer medicos, there are some trends among serial killers that can help us understand the role of the profession in the act of serial murder.

‘Custodial’ killers

Serial killers come from many walks of life, and not all are dysfunctional loners – many are married or in a stable relationship.
A 2014 research paper found serial killers can be understood via several subtypes, including: those who kill for sexually sadistic pleasure; professional killers who are motivated by money and the power they derive from the kill; and, as relevant to Letby, “custodial killers”.
Custodial killers are often healthcare workers who murder helpless or dependent people in their care.
One research group studied 64 female serial killers in the US between 1821 and 2008, and found nearly 40% of them worked in healthcare.

Letby and healthcare killers

Another research paper specifically studied the characteristics of 16 convicted healthcare serial killers, which the authors defined as “nurses who have been convicted of at least two murders, which they have carried out within a hospital setting”.
Read more:
Women can be psychopaths too, in ways more subtle but just as dangerous
Letby fits several of these characteristics.
A 2007 book, Inside the Minds of Healthcare Serial Killers: Why They Kill, provides a checklist of 22 “red flags” for this group of killers, including:

Letby certainly made her colleagues suspicious, and they reported her in the years preceding her arrest.
This would fit with research suggesting attention-seeking is a motive for female serial killers more generally.

Other infamous healthcare killers

Harold Shipman was an English general practitioner who is considered one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history.
He was convicted of murdering 15 of his patients in 2000, but is suspected in the deaths of up to 250 people.
Given the patients he killed were largely in good health, misguided “altruism” cannot explain his crimes.

Medics who murder are rare

But it’s important to acknowledge they also cause such interest precisely because they are so rare.
While medics who turn serial killer are incredibly prolific, we should not fear unnecessarily for ourselves or our loved ones.

DAUGHTER OF A SOCIOPATH Explores The Pain of Growing Up With A Sociopathic Mother

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

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Charleston, SC, Aug. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The lived experience of having a diagnosed sociopath for a mother is rare.

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Charleston, SC, Aug. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The lived experience of having a diagnosed sociopath for a mother is rare.
In this close-to-the-chest memoir, author Caren Sun exposes—in a chronological timeline—the effect her mother’s illness had on her self image, self-worth, and childhood.
Taking care to walk the reader through each significant interaction, Daughter of a Sociopath chronicles how the author’s mother took each opportunity to fail at claiming responsibility and showing kindness, care, and love.
“The book is about the damage done by a woman who was utterly incapable of loving another human being.

Manipulative, distrustful, self-serving: how to deal with a Machiavellian boss

Retrieved on:

Thursday, July 20, 2023

You won’t get paid for the extra hours but you’ve been assured there will be kudos from senior management.

Key Points:

You won’t get paid for the extra hours but you’ve been assured there will be kudos from senior management.
A Machiavellian personality is self-serving, opportunistic and ambitious – traits that can help them attain positions of power and status.
Working for a Machiavellian boss is likely to be infuriating, stressful and bad for your mental health.
By understanding what drives this personality, and how it differs from the other “dark personality traits”, you can limit the fallout.

Origins of Machiavellianism

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) was a diplomat in Florence during a period of power struggle involving the powerful Medici family.
When the Medicis returned to rule the city in 1512 after almost two decades in exile, he was briefly imprisoned and then banished.
“The lion cannot protect himself from traps,” it says, “and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves.

Joining the ‘Dark Triad’

However, while the three traits are lumped together due to their antisocial qualities, there are important differences.
Narcissism is a set of traits as well as a personality disorder, characterised by egoism, self-absorption and the need to feel superior to others.
Psychopathy is also a diagnosable personality disorder, defined by lack of empathy or conscience.
The boss who assures you they have your best interests at heart might just be telling you what you want to believe.

How to deal with a Machiavellian boss

A Machiavellian boss may seek to manipulate
with flattery or bullying, promising reward or threatening punishment.
So how to deal with a Machiavellian boss?
The first lesson is to be clear about what drives a Machiavellian personality.
You can’t trust a Machiavellian, and need to deal with them cautiously.
But distrusting your boss and operating with a “strike before the other does” mindset will, if you’re a relatively normal person, be emotionally draining.

Mounties in crisis: The systemic failure to address sexual abuse within the RCMP

Retrieved on:

Thursday, July 13, 2023

The RCMP has a problem when it comes to sexual abuse within the ranks — and it apparently lacks the ability to deal with it.

Key Points:

The RCMP has a problem when it comes to sexual abuse within the ranks — and it apparently lacks the ability to deal with it.
Only 325 cases have been resolved, indicating serious process issues within the ICHR.

Complainants await justice

Plagued with delays and questionable decisions, the ICHR has left many complainants in limbo, creating uncertainty and a further loss of confidence.
Mountie Nicole Patapoff has sought a federal court judicial review challenging the ICHR’s denial of her harassment complaint.
The ICHR later told Patapoff that the person who investigated her complaint was removed from the list of approved investigators.

Culture of silence

The RCMP’s culture has been marked by a reluctance to acknowledge and address these issues, resulting in fear and silence among the rank and file.
This culture of silence negatively impacts the mental health and well-being of its members — not to mention public trust.
Read more:
The 'blue wall' of silence allows bullying, sexual abuse and violence to infect police forces
The RCMP is not alone.

Inability to handle misconduct

The RCMP’s ICHR, despite its claim that it’s a “centralized, independent unit,” lacks a real arms-length distance, authority and oversight to make meaningful change.
In addition to perpetuating systemic abuse, this flawed system of oversight further tarnishes the RCMP’s reputation.
Urgent, meaningful action is required, including delegating investigative and discipline authority far removed from the RCMP’s chain of command.

Reform urgently required

This could help avoid tragic outcomes and help ensure truly independent — and timely — investigations of misconduct complaints.
As Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam is mandated with addressing public health-related issues impacting Canadians.
The RCMP’s ongoing issues with systemic misconduct and harassment and its inability to police itself necessitate immediate, bold and systemic measures.

Toxic work cultures start with incivility and mediocre leadership. What can you do about it?

Retrieved on:

Friday, June 16, 2023

Just as you begin, a colleague sighs and shares an eye-roll with their buddy.

Key Points:

Just as you begin, a colleague sighs and shares an eye-roll with their buddy.
This type of incivility doesn’t quite rise to the level where you can complain to human resources and expect a satisfying resolution.
But incivility – being less severe and more difficult to prove – tends to fly under the radar.
Most of us will experience incivility at some point at work.

Why are people rude to each other?

Certainly such behaviour is much more likely from people with dysfunctional personality traits, especially the “dark triad” of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism.
Incivility can therefore become a vicious spiral that turns victims and bystanders into perpetrators.
Read more:
What Jeremy Clarkson taught us about incivility in the workplace

Incivility in the workplace

We’re social creatures and learn what’s expected and acceptable from those we look up to.
Incivility is most harmful when it comes from a supervisor: someone we’re supposed to trust, who’s supposed to look after us.
With the capacity for one individual to make life a misery for many colleagues, this leadership failure can lead to a toxic workplace culture.

Authentic leadership ‘in the trenches’

With colleagues Stephen Teo and David Pick, I’ve surveyed 230 nurses across Australia about the leadership qualities that help reduce incivility.
Our research shows that authentic leadership promotes workplace cultures with less incivility and better well-being.
Such authentic leaders are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, act on their values even under pressure, and work to understand how their leadership affects others.

What can you do?

If this is happening to you, or others in your workplace, avoiding it won’t help you or your colleagues.
Putting up with incivility is emotionally taxing, entrenches feelings of resentment and will likely lead to bigger conflicts down the track.
One approach recommended by psychologists when dealing with high-conflict personalities is known as the BIFF technique: be brief, informative, friendly and firm.
You don’t have to go at it alone either: consider inviting colleagues who can support you, and your claims.
If your manager is the perpetrator, contact your HR department first (if your organisation has one) or else your union.

Think you might be dating a 'vulnerable narcissist'? Look out for these red flags

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Single people are increasingly turning online to find love, with more than 300 million people around the world trying their luck on dating apps.

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Single people are increasingly turning online to find love, with more than 300 million people around the world trying their luck on dating apps.
But for others, stories of online dating have very different endings.

The dark side of online dating

But online dating isn’t without risk.
Antisocial dating behaviours are common online, such as ghosting and breadcrumbing (when someone gives you crumbs of attention to keep you interested, with no intention of progressing the relationship).
One study found up to 81% of online dating users had engaged in some form of it.

Behind the mask

Narcissism in a broad sense can be conceptualised as a personality trait that falls on a continuum.
Those at the extreme end are characterised by entitlement, superiority, and a strong need for attention, admiration and approval.
Vulnerable narcissism is characterised by high emotional sensitivity and a defensive, insecure grandiosity that masks feelings of incompetence and inadequacy.

Here’s what we found

That is, those with higher scores for vulnerable narcissism presented more inauthentically.
Participants who had ghosted or breadcrumbed someone also had higher scores for vulnerable narcissism.
However, it should be noted these effects were small, and not everyone who ghosts is likely to be a vulnerable narcissist.

Might I be dating a vulnerable narcissist?

I think I’m dating a vulnerable narcissist!

Vulnerable narcissists are prone to engaging in emotionally abusive behaviours.
If you suspect you’re dating one then you may be experiencing domestic violence, or be at significant risk of it if the relationship continues.
If you have concerns, it’s important to seek support from your family doctor, a psychologist, or a domestic violence support service.

From Trump to Winnie the Pooh: how we use diagnosis as a narrative tool to make sense of dysfunction and deviance

Retrieved on:

Monday, April 17, 2023

Being diagnosed with COVID makes sense of symptoms, determines what we should do about them, and shapes our collective responsibility to the community.

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Being diagnosed with COVID makes sense of symptoms, determines what we should do about them, and shapes our collective responsibility to the community.
You have symptoms, the doctor examines or tests you, you get a name for what ails you.
Even a diagnosis as seemingly clear-cut as COVID is more than just a label stuck to a virus.
Read more:
COVID testing led to new techniques of disease diagnosis: progress mustn’t stop now

Diagnosis as storytelling

Diagnosis is so important to understanding our lives and those around us that it’s often applied outside of the health setting.
TV shows such as House use diagnostic mysteries to underpin plots – less Whodunit and more Whatisit.
A diagnosis is a story, in and of itself.
You have an infection of your lungs, probably caused by bacteria or a virus and possibly triggered by that cold you had last week.

Stories and deviance

Diagnostic stories are explanations of deviance.
By “deviance” we mean the sociological sense of the term: an inability to meet social expectations of behaviour, belief or experience.
To explain deviance, we often defer to diagnosis.
More than 150 scientific authors have thrown themselves at finding a diagnosis to explain his deviance.

Medicalising experiences

These stories say more about us, the diagnosers, and our contemporary views, than the lives of those they seek to describe.
By using diagnosis to explain people, we medicalise our experience of the world and shut down other avenues of explanation.
Just as explaining an imaginary character via diagnosis means we’ve lost faith in stories.

Why do people crave the approval of an abusive or narcissistic parent? And what can they do about it?

Retrieved on:

Monday, April 17, 2023

He insults them, pits them against each other and can be cold or menacing.

Key Points:

He insults them, pits them against each other and can be cold or menacing.
Despite the years of torment, the Roy children clearly crave their father’s approval.
The show highlights a struggle some adult children face: the need for approval from an abusive parent.

Attachment anxiety

Studies into parent-child relationships based in attachment theory (a widely researched theory of human bonding) suggest the need for approval is a feature of people who experience an insecure attachment style known as attachment anxiety.
According to attachment theory, attachment anxiety can develop when the care provided by parents or guardians early in life is inept or inconsistent.

Inept or inconsistent care

Inept care is when a parent provides some type of help, but the care provided does not meet the needs of the child.
Instead, the parent provides sympathy and says the task is too hard for the child.
Inconsistent care is when the parent sometimes provides care that meets the child’s needs, triggering happiness or relief in the child.

Parenting and the dark traits

Research into the dark traits suggests those who score high on these qualities lack emotional warmth, act in hostile ways, and exert control over their children.
Our own work has shown people can act this way because their own parents were hostile towards them some 20 years prior.

Intergenerational transmission

For some parents, however, engaging in inept and inconsistent care is not driven by conscious motivations to manipulate and hurt their children.
This is an example of intergenerational transmission, where patterns of attachment and parenting can be passed from one generation to the next.

A ‘partial reinforcement schedule’

Irrespective of the reason, the fallout of inept or inconsistent caregiving is that children are placed on what’s known as a partial reinforcement schedule.
Because of this partial reinforcement schedule, children work harder to gain the attention and love of their parents.

How can we break the spell?

Therapies with a strong relational focus can be especially useful in working through issues such as a chronic need for approval.
Schema therapy aims to help people understand why they have such a strong need for approval.
It can help to write a pros and cons list about how the need for approval affects your life.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

TransMedia Group to Spread Blue Light IT's Warning That It's Not If, but When a Business Will be Hacked, But Cybersecurity Makes It Much Less Likely or Devastating

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

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TransMedia Group says it will let hackers know there's a new cybersecurity sheriff in Internet town.

Key Points:

TransMedia Group says it will let hackers know there's a new cybersecurity sheriff in Internet town.
So, hackers had better look for less protected prey than those under the watchful eye of Blue Light IT.
"While hackers try to hack businesses indiscriminately, companies protected by such dedicated cybersecurity as Blue Light IT provides are much less likely to be hacked," said TransMedia Group CEO Tom Madden.
Most likely they are an organized crime group using an off-the-shelf program for shear villainous intent to rob and profit.

Third Annual, Virtual Insider Risk Summit Announces Keynote Speakers Mark T. Hofmann, Pablos Holman and Joe Payne, and Opens Registration to Attendees

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

The Insider Risk Summit is the industrys leading conference on Insider Risk Management (IRM).

Key Points:

The Insider Risk Summit is the industrys leading conference on Insider Risk Management (IRM).
The 2022 Summit will focus on all aspects of Insider Risk, including IP theft, intentional data leaks and non-malicious exfiltration actions.
Three primary speakers will headline the 2022 Insider Risk Summit.
Learn more about sponsorship opportunities at Insider Risk Summit 2022.
Insider Risk Summit attendees will have opportunities for networking, taking in product demos, hosting 1:1 meetings or attending educational sessions and discussions.