Continuum of Behavior

Persons Demonstrating Responsible Behaviors

Have a Pattern of:

Obeying rules.
Keeping commitmentsaccepting responsibility.
Maintaining cooperative relationships.
Fulfilling obligations and working hard.
Considering others.
Being willing to listen; trusting others.
Working to earn the trust and the respect of others.
Dismissing irresponsible thoughts.

Persons Demonstrating Irresponsible but Legal Behaviors

Have a Pattern of:

Honoring commitments only when it is convenient or promises a payoff.
Lying because it's easy (more often by omission than by commission).
Letting others down.
Breaking rules.
Controlling others and events through manipulation, deceit, or intimidation.
Failing to persevere; quitting when something gets uncomfortable or hard.
Keeping secrets.
Finding irresponsible activity exciting.

Persons Demonstrating Irresponsible and Illegal Behaviors

Have a Pattern of:

Breaking rules/the law.
Blaming others; criticizing others.
Exploiting others.
Engaging in frequent or continuous irresponsible thinking.
Thinking only of self.
Being unwilling to accept obligations; refusing to be held accountable.
Focusing on "not getting caught" and "beating the system"; getting away with something makes it okay.
Acting as if he/she is better than others; not seeing self as a criminal.
Living a secretive lifestyle; concealing lots of illegal activity.