Robert Hare’s Checklist of Psychopathy Symptoms outlines 19 behaviours that are present within psychopaths. These points create a character profile that almost exactly lines up with that of Noboru and his friends. To that end, it is certain that the gang are psychopaths.
These children also display a range of personality shortcomings that are typical of psychopaths, Including irresponsibility. The only time when the reader is told of Noboru getting any work done is when his mother sits down with him. During a time when she does not, one told that he had procrastinated the whole break, and not completed anything. This shows that unless pushed by an adult, he cannot complete basic responsibilities. The chief too, shows another of these shortcomings in his constant bragging that the group are better than adults, putting himself above the majority of the population. This, transferred to the group creates in them all a similar shortcoming, that they do not have a long term plan. They despise
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One of the symptoms most focused on by the novel, is Juvenile Delinquency. Nearly all of their behaviour is antagonistic, exploitative, aggressive, or manipulative. Indeed, the category seems to encompass the entire book. Not only do they commit crimes, but the “Criminal Versatility” they show proves them to be psychopaths as well. Within the book, we are shown Sexual Harassment, murder (or at least intent), animal abuse, and while not a crime, lying to a parent. All of these on their own qualify for a category of psychopathy, but all of them demonstrate a wide and varied number of infractions of this crew. Noboru spying on his mother, is certainly sexual harassment, and constitutes