Psychopathy is a word grown-ups sometimes use to describe a person whose brain works differently when it comes to caring about other people's feelings. Most people feel bad when they hurt someone. If you make your friend cry, you might feel sad or sorry because you know your friend is hurting. That feeling is called empathy. A person with psychopathic traits may not feel very much empathy. They can understand that someone else is sad, frightened, or hurt, but they might not care very much. Sometimes, they are very good at pretending to care. They might be friendly, charming, and kind when they want something from you. But their kindness might disappear when they don't get what they want. One of the biggest problems is how they might treat people who get in their way. Imagine that someone wants to win a game, but another child is playing better than they are. A kind person might feel disappointed or frustrated, but they understand that the other child deserves a chance to win, too. A person with strong psychopathic traits might think differently. They might think, "That person is stopping me from getting what I want. I need to get them out of my way." They might try several things: • Tricking: They might lie to someone to get them to do what they want.
• Bullying: They might frighten or threaten someone so that person gives up.
• Blaming: They might do something wrong and then convince everyone that someone else did it.
• Pretending: They might act very nice to someone when they need help, but become mean when that person is no longer useful.
• Getting revenge: If someone tells them no, they might try to punish that person for standing up to them.
• Hurting someone's friendships: They might tell lies about someone so that other people stop trusting or liking that person.
 Not everyone with psychopathic traits does these things, and doing one of these things does not mean someone is a psychopath. Here is something very important to understand: Most people understand that other people have feelings, wishes, and rights that matter just as much as their own. A person with strong psychopathic traits may understand that other people have feelings but behave as though those feelings don't matter. They may treat other people more like pieces in a game than like human beings who deserve kindness and respect. And when someone becomes an obstacle, they may care more about removing that obstacle than about whether they hurt the person. But remember: Someone who is selfish, mean, angry, or even cruel is not necessarily a psychopath. Psychopathy is a complicated pattern that professionals study, not a name we should give someone just because they behave badly. And no matter what kind of person someone is, you have the right to say no, to be treated kindly, and to ask a trusted grown-up for help when someone is frightening or hurting you.