Female psychopaths

A small but growing body of research is finding that female psychopaths might be more common than we thought. If so, how have they managed to go mostly unnoticed, and how much of a problem do female psychopaths present?

- NATE SCHARPING

You might expect to encounter a psychopath in a law office or managing a hedge fund, or perhaps in an operating theatre.

Law, finance and medicine are often seen as favourable professions for those who have little capacity to feel guilt, embarrassment or compassion - and some research backs this notion up. But what about in a therapist's office?

In a small study from Tasmania, a number of people in the welfare sector reported encountering coworkers who met many of the criteria for psychopathy, and who often bullied them and colleagues. It's a surprising finding in a field that prioritises compassion and empathy, two traits a psychopath lacks by definition. Also surprising was that the majority of these potential psychopaths were women.

The study comes from Dr Fiona Girkin, a consultant in psychopathic female behaviour, and grew from research she conducted while getting a PhD in management at Curtin University in Australia. Girkin worked in Tasmania's welfare sector for over 20 years and says she encountered coworkers who she believes displayed a number of psychopathic traits, and heard similar stories from others in the field.

It got her thinking about female psychopathy, which some studies suggest presents differently than in men, with less overt aggression and an emphasis on tactics like emotional manipulation and relational aggression.

Girkin's study, published in the