Dr. Kostas A. Fanti is the director of the Developmental Psychopathology Lab and Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Cyprus. He is also currently the Chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Cyprus. His research combines quantitative methods with experimental, clinical and neurophysiological approaches to treat and explain heterogeneity in psychopathy, antisocial behavior, bullying and victimization. He is the principal investigator on multiple grants, and he has published extensively in clinical, neuropsychological, social, biological, methodological and developmental journals. He has received multiple awards for his research, including the Jevon S. Newman Career Contribution Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy and the University of Cyprus Excellence in Research Award.
- How did you get involved in psychopathy research?
For as long as I remember, I was always interested to answer the question “Why are some people more violent compared to others?” As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to work with Paul Frick, and since then I have been exploring psychopathy more in depth and how psychopathic personality traits might explain individual differences in violent behavior.
- How are children with callous-unemotional traits different from other children?
Before I answer this question, I should state that there are individual differences among children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits, as suggested from research investigating primary and secondary CU variants. The primary variant has lower anxiety and is believed to arise largely from genetic risk factors, whereas the secondary variant is characterized by higher anxiety and histories of greater maltreatment experiences. However, I believe that the majority of children high on CU traits, irrespective of variant type, are less likely to pay attention and respond to others’ sadness, which may be pointing to a specific empathy deficit (a reduced ability to empathize with others).
- Do adolescents with psychopathic traits engage in more in-person bullying? If yes, why?
The answer is YES! To understand bullying behaviors, we need to focus on all dimensions of psychopathy. Narcissism has the stronger influence on these behaviors that are driven by grandiosity (having a sense of superiority, specialness, or uniqueness) and the need to establish social dominance (the need to establish oneself as being in charge or the leader of a group). Adolescents high in narcissism are very likely to manipulate their peers and use bullying to succeed in the school environment. Results from my studies also suggest that adolescents high on CU traits find bullying behaviors rewarding, which is driven by their lack of sensitivity to others’ emotional reactions. Impulsivity and the associated lack of behavioral regulation (having difficulties with behaving in an appropriate manner) increase the risk of both bullying and victimization experiences.
- What advice would you give to parents of children with psychopathic traits?
I do believe that parents find it difficult to engage in positive parenting with or manage the behavior of children who are characterized by CU traits, which may partly be due to the child’s fearlessness and less likelihood of responding to their parents’ emotions. As a result, parents are more distressed, which increases parent-child conflict. All these experiences might lead to parents feeling helpless and may lead to children losing the chance to develop their empathy skills through positive social interactions. So, my advice will be for parents to continue showing their “love” to their child, which children high on CU traits find rewarding, and to also start sharing their emotions with their child to help the child enhance their empathy. Such positive interactions tend to have a bigger impact early in development.
- Considering research is generally ahead of application in the field, what is one improvement in the field of psychopathy that you hope to see take place over the next five to ten years?
I would like to see more evidence-based treatments individually tailored to the unique needs of individuals with psychopathic traits. For example, currently we have developed a treatment program for delinquent adolescents that takes into account their individual characteristics, neurophysiological deficits, attention problems, and environmental experiences. Findings point to both behavioral and neurocognitive changes after treatment.
- What would you want victims or survivors know about your research?
My suggestion is that victims and survivors should not blame themselves for these experiences and consider whether there are ways they can take control of their lives. One way to move on with your life is to use these negative experiences for your benefit and apply what you learnt to create healthier relationships with people characterized by higher empathy and better understanding of others’ emotions.