International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 8 2025 104
earlier than the nonpsychopath offenders” (Hare et al.
1992:291–292). Manson’s childhood experiences with
law enforcement and the criminal justice system are
consistent with these findings. Manson’s first contact
with law enforcement occurred when he ran away from
the Gibault School for Boys in Indiana at age fourteen.
After running away, he supported himself through theft
and burglary, accumulating multiple charges. By the
time he was nineteen, he had been remanded to Father
Flanagan’s Boys Town, the Indian School for Boys at
Plainfield, the National Training School for Boys in
Washington, D.C., the National Bridge Honor Camp,
the Federal Reformatory at Petersburg, Virginia, and
the Federal Reformatory at Chillicothe, Ohio (Bugliosi
with Gentry 1974:136–140 Marynick 2010:365–366).
Hare posits that impulsivity is an indicator of
psychopathy. “Psychopaths tend to live day-to-day and
to change their plans frequently. They give little serious
thought to the future and worry about it even less. Nor
do they generally show much concern about how little
they have done with their lives” (Hare 1993:59). They
do not evaluate the merits of potential consequences of
their actions, but rather focus on achieving immediate
satisfaction, pleasure, or relief” (Hare 1993:58).
Manson’s impulsive behavior, often to alleviate
boredom or generate excitement, is highly indicative
of psychopathy. After assembling the Family, Mason
acquired a school bus and took multiple impromptu
trips across the western United States with his band
of followers. In 1968 alone, Manson and the Family
ventured from California to visit Washington, Texas,
New Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada (Gilmore
and Kenner 1971:54–62). Manson stated that he “just
wanted to get moving—to travel around. A road is the
best place to be on ...just keep moving from one place
to the next with nothing else in mind but just going on
the road” (Gilmore and Kenner 1971:54). By Manson’s
own account, he did not invest time in planning these
trips, instead traveling when “the urge would prompt
[him] to hit the road ...[H]e would leave for a day, a
week, or longer” (Manson and Emmons, 1986:98).
Despite the difficulties the Family endured, he enjoyed
escaping the city and heading nowhere “strictly for
the excitement of travel and meeting people and the
challenge of the unexpected” (Manson and Emmons
1986:99).
According to Hare, irresponsibility is a hallmark
of psychopathy. He posits that “[o]bligations and
commitments mean nothing to psychopaths” (1993:62),
and they do not consider that their actions may cause
hardship to others (1993:64). While psychopaths’
unreliability impacts every area of their lives, their
children are especially affected by their actions. “This
indifference to the welfare of children—their own as well
as those of the man or woman they happen to be living
with at the time—is a common [among] psychopaths.
Psychopaths see children as an inconvenience” (Hare
1993:63). While paternity is uncertain for many of
the children that were born into the Family, Manson
definitively fathered three sons: one with each of his
wives and another by a Family member. His first child,
Charles Manson Jr., was born to Rosalie Jean Willis in
1956, and his second child, Charles Luther Manson,
was born to Leona Rae Stevens in 1963. Both children
were born when Manson was in prison on separate
occasions, and both wives divorced him before he was
released. His third child, Valentine Michael [Brunner]
Manson, was born in 1968 to Family member Mary
Brunner (Bugliosi with Gentry 1974:141, 145, 164).
Though Manson never met or provided for Charles Jr.
Manson and Charles Luther Manson in any capacity,
Valentine Michael [Brunner] Manson, however, spent
the first year of his life living a nomadic existence with
Manson and other Family members. Shortly after his
first birthday, the Family committed the Tate-LaBianca
murders, and Manson was incarcerated permanently.
Despite fathering three children, Manson ultimately
failed to form any parent–child attachments (Bugliosi
with Gentry 1974:141, 145, 164).
The impulsivity and irresponsibility associated with
psychopathy manifests itself in a failure to make life
plans. Hart and Hare postulate that a lack of realistic,
long-term goals is an indicator for psychopathy (Hart
and Hare 1997:23). Throughout his life, Manson failed
to establish any legal or realistic goals he only expressed
interest in becoming a pimp, professional musician,
and world leader. While incarcerated in his early
twenties, Manson became intrigued by other inmates’
experiences with pimping and the lifestyle it provided.
He set out to learn everything about procuring from
his fellow inmates and, when he was released from
prison in 1958, set out to gather prostitutes to support
him (Manson and Emmons 1986:55–60). Manson
procured prostitutes for a period of two years until his
suspended sentence was revoked, and he returned to
earlier than the nonpsychopath offenders” (Hare et al.
1992:291–292). Manson’s childhood experiences with
law enforcement and the criminal justice system are
consistent with these findings. Manson’s first contact
with law enforcement occurred when he ran away from
the Gibault School for Boys in Indiana at age fourteen.
After running away, he supported himself through theft
and burglary, accumulating multiple charges. By the
time he was nineteen, he had been remanded to Father
Flanagan’s Boys Town, the Indian School for Boys at
Plainfield, the National Training School for Boys in
Washington, D.C., the National Bridge Honor Camp,
the Federal Reformatory at Petersburg, Virginia, and
the Federal Reformatory at Chillicothe, Ohio (Bugliosi
with Gentry 1974:136–140 Marynick 2010:365–366).
Hare posits that impulsivity is an indicator of
psychopathy. “Psychopaths tend to live day-to-day and
to change their plans frequently. They give little serious
thought to the future and worry about it even less. Nor
do they generally show much concern about how little
they have done with their lives” (Hare 1993:59). They
do not evaluate the merits of potential consequences of
their actions, but rather focus on achieving immediate
satisfaction, pleasure, or relief” (Hare 1993:58).
Manson’s impulsive behavior, often to alleviate
boredom or generate excitement, is highly indicative
of psychopathy. After assembling the Family, Mason
acquired a school bus and took multiple impromptu
trips across the western United States with his band
of followers. In 1968 alone, Manson and the Family
ventured from California to visit Washington, Texas,
New Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada (Gilmore
and Kenner 1971:54–62). Manson stated that he “just
wanted to get moving—to travel around. A road is the
best place to be on ...just keep moving from one place
to the next with nothing else in mind but just going on
the road” (Gilmore and Kenner 1971:54). By Manson’s
own account, he did not invest time in planning these
trips, instead traveling when “the urge would prompt
[him] to hit the road ...[H]e would leave for a day, a
week, or longer” (Manson and Emmons, 1986:98).
Despite the difficulties the Family endured, he enjoyed
escaping the city and heading nowhere “strictly for
the excitement of travel and meeting people and the
challenge of the unexpected” (Manson and Emmons
1986:99).
According to Hare, irresponsibility is a hallmark
of psychopathy. He posits that “[o]bligations and
commitments mean nothing to psychopaths” (1993:62),
and they do not consider that their actions may cause
hardship to others (1993:64). While psychopaths’
unreliability impacts every area of their lives, their
children are especially affected by their actions. “This
indifference to the welfare of children—their own as well
as those of the man or woman they happen to be living
with at the time—is a common [among] psychopaths.
Psychopaths see children as an inconvenience” (Hare
1993:63). While paternity is uncertain for many of
the children that were born into the Family, Manson
definitively fathered three sons: one with each of his
wives and another by a Family member. His first child,
Charles Manson Jr., was born to Rosalie Jean Willis in
1956, and his second child, Charles Luther Manson,
was born to Leona Rae Stevens in 1963. Both children
were born when Manson was in prison on separate
occasions, and both wives divorced him before he was
released. His third child, Valentine Michael [Brunner]
Manson, was born in 1968 to Family member Mary
Brunner (Bugliosi with Gentry 1974:141, 145, 164).
Though Manson never met or provided for Charles Jr.
Manson and Charles Luther Manson in any capacity,
Valentine Michael [Brunner] Manson, however, spent
the first year of his life living a nomadic existence with
Manson and other Family members. Shortly after his
first birthday, the Family committed the Tate-LaBianca
murders, and Manson was incarcerated permanently.
Despite fathering three children, Manson ultimately
failed to form any parent–child attachments (Bugliosi
with Gentry 1974:141, 145, 164).
The impulsivity and irresponsibility associated with
psychopathy manifests itself in a failure to make life
plans. Hart and Hare postulate that a lack of realistic,
long-term goals is an indicator for psychopathy (Hart
and Hare 1997:23). Throughout his life, Manson failed
to establish any legal or realistic goals he only expressed
interest in becoming a pimp, professional musician,
and world leader. While incarcerated in his early
twenties, Manson became intrigued by other inmates’
experiences with pimping and the lifestyle it provided.
He set out to learn everything about procuring from
his fellow inmates and, when he was released from
prison in 1958, set out to gather prostitutes to support
him (Manson and Emmons 1986:55–60). Manson
procured prostitutes for a period of two years until his
suspended sentence was revoked, and he returned to
