Self Sabotage

A subject deliberately engages in an infringement with the intention of being discovered and subjected to disciplinary, professional, or legal consequences. Unlike subjects who attempt to conceal their actions or avoid accountability, the subject seeks an adverse personal outcome, such as disciplinary proceedings, dismissal, or damage to their professional standing.

Self-sabotage may arise from dissatisfaction with employment, a desire to force an end to an employment relationship, feelings of guilt, or an intention to provoke intervention by the organization. The subject may deliberately disregard established controls, commit conspicuous policy violations, or leave evidence of their actions to increase the likelihood of detection.

During an investigation, self-sabotage should be considered where evidence indicates that discovery and personal consequences were intended outcomes of the infringement. The presence of reckless behavior, repeated policy violations, or apparent indifference to disciplinary action does not, in isolation, establish a self-sabotage motive.