I think they are mostly people that were severely abused growing up. I do not know if they can help it. It would be a question for psychiatrists of mental institutions. One way or the other they need to be contained.

The human brain is a physical object that can be manipulated. I believe that all people are not truly in control of their thoughts and actions, and nothing anyone does is really their fault. Neuroscience supports this belief strongly at this time.

Sociopaths and psychopaths are a special case because their pre-frontal cortex is either under developed( sociopath) or malformed ( psychopath ). Sociopaths know what they are doing and are aware that it's wrong, but they don't care. Psychopaths on the other hand, lack a conscious and are unaware what they are doing is wrong. They operate in a hyper-rational way, always seeking reward and avoiding pain.