Introduction to this issue: international perspectives on psychopathic disorders

The importance of characterological disturbances, that contribute towards individual patterns of law breaking behavior, to legal systems in all countries should be self-evident. Contributors to this international perspective issue represent Canada, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States, and data from several additional European countries were included in Hare's article. This issue addresses emotional deficiency, molecular genetics, construct and predictive validity of the PCL-R, psychosocial predictors and treatment. Critical analyses of current models for civil commitment and criminal responsibility vis-à-vis psychopathic disorders contribute towards informed dialectic on these compelling public policy issues. We hope that readers will find that these articles collectively advance our understanding of the nature of these disorders, currently available therapeutic interventions, and today's critical social issues.