(Technical note: psychopathy is sort of a subset of anti-social personality disorder. It's possible to have ASPD and not become a serial killer, however.)
Lots of child psychologists agree that most kids who go on to kill their families aren't diagnosed earlier because parents ignore the signs. And a lot of those signs are around as early as the pre-school years:
• An interest in fires or starting fires
• Cruelty to animals, or at least inappropriate handling (teasing, waking from sleep, holding too tightly, etc)
• Bed wetting that lasts longer than normal
(Those three are knows as the MacDonald Triad; they almost always occur together in ASPD kids)
• Total lack of conscience, empathy, or compassion for others
• Lying, manipulative and deceptive behavior like conning, especially by being charming, especially to avoid punishment or work, forging signatures
• Lack of remorse or indifference
• Avoiding intimacy such as hugs, although quick to grasp social norms of touching like handshakes, pats on the back, etc.
• Vandalism
• Bizarre or violent writings or drawings
• Preoccupied with violence
• Acting out in a sexually inappropriate manner
• Seeks immediate gratification of needs, no impulse control
• Diagnosable with conduct disorder by mid-teens
• School misbehavior - bullying, truancy, lack of concern for schoolwork
• Complete disregard for authority - running away from home, nonchalance about house rules
• Difficulty understanding cause-effect; difficulty planning ahead
• Little if any emotional control
• Easily bored, may lead to thrill-seeking behaviors, risky sex, and substance abuse
These kids sometimes (rarely) just happen:
• Some babies are born with abnormalities in the frontal lobe (the part that controls judgment and a concept of needs balanced between the self and others), which keeps it from developing as it should.
• Some kids may sustain a frontal lobe injury or damage from disease, which may halt the development of the frontal lobe or simply prevent it from functioning as it should.
Often, these kids are created:
• Overly harsh or inconsistent parenting
• Being in foster care
• Large family size
• Single parent
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Violence or domestic abuse (physical, verbal, emotional) in the home
• Poverty
• Other family members with antisocial personality disorder
• Substance abuse in the home
• Parents seen as uncaring, uninvolved, selfish
(These are only risk factors; there are other factors which would negate the risk from these. So just because you're a single parent, or have a big family, or you're a chain smoker, don't freak out!)
Are kids actually psychopaths? Not technically. It's a diagnosis reserved for adults, even though some kids meet the criteria for diagnosis. During pre-teen childhood, a lot of these kids might be diagnosed as having an attachment disorder. Anti-social personality disorder, especially with psychopathology, is cumulative and progressive, which is why paying attention is the most important thing adults can do.
Some psychologists strongly encourage assessments for antisocial behavior as early as age 4, or at least prior to starting school. With appropriate treatment - early - there's hope. Once this kind of child hits puberty, all anyone can do is pray he doesn't become violent. And most people with ASPD don't go on to become serial murderers.
But you never know.
Disclaimer: this is not meant as a diagnosis of any person, child or adult. Just because a child happens to exhibit one or even several characteristics listed does not mean the kid is a wacko about to go on a chainsaw spree at Walmart. It DOES mean, if you have ANY concerns, you need to get the kid in for a proper evaluation asap.
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