International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 8 2025 96
• callousness/lack of empathy, parasitic
lifestyle
• poor behavioral controls
• promiscuous sexual behavior
• early behavior problems
• lack of realistic, long-term goals
• impulsivity
• irresponsibility
• failure to accept responsibility for actions
• many short-term marital relationships
• juvenile delinquency
• revocation of conditional release
• criminal versatility (Hare, et al. 1992:288).
“An adequate diagnosis of psychopathy must be based
on the full range of relevant symptomatology” (Hart
and Hare 1997:23). Over the last several decades,
experts deemed the PCL-R the “gold standard” (see
MacDonald and Iacono 2006:375 Widiger 2006:158)
in assessing psychopathy, due to its proven ability to
reliably and validly assess the construct (see Fowles and
Dindo 2006:14 Hare 2007:6, 17 Hare and Neumann
2006:59, 63 Widiger 2006:167).
The PCL-R consists of a lengthy semi-structured
interview and review of file information and requires
extensive interview training (Lilienfeld and Fowler
2006:108). According to Hare and Neumann (2006):
The use of file reviews alone is a nonstandard
procedure but one that is used by researchers
who are unable to conduct interviews with
offenders or patients. In some cases, the file
reviews are part of postdictive or retrospective
analyses designed to identify variables related
to behaviors or events that occurred before
or after the compilation of archival data. The
advantages of such analyses are that a great
deal of useful information can be gathered
in a short time, and that it is not necessary to
wait years to find out if a variable ‘predicts’ a
particular behaviour or event (e.g., recidivism).
A disadvantage, at least with respect to PCL-R
assessments, is that without an interview there
may not be sufficient information to adequately
score the items that tape interpersonal and
affective features (2006:66).
Furthermore, “[t]he PCL-R can be scored on the basis
of file information alone, provided that the material
contained in the files is extensive and detailed, and
that the rater acknowledges the limitations of the
procedure” (Hare 1998:101). For the purposes of this
investigation, I will refrain from scoring items on the
checklist and instead use existing documentation to
provide examples of each item of the PCL-R.
Charles Manson Biography10
In times of social, economic, and political upheaval,
psychopaths often emerge in popular culture as
“folk heroes.” According to Hare (1998), “[I]t is not
uncommon for psychopaths to emerge as leaders and
‘patriots’ who wrap themselves in a flag of convenience
and enrich themselves by callously exploiting ethnic,
cultural, or racial tensions and grievances” (1998:104–
105). In the United States, the late 1960s, an era
defined by political, cultural, and racial uprisings (see,
for example, Kent 2001), spawned Charles Manson,
perhaps the most notorious cult leader of the era.
Charles Milles Manson was born in 1934 to an unwed
mother in Cincinnati, Ohio. Manson’s mother led an
unstable lifestyle: dating a series of men, drinking
heavily, and moving often. She periodically abandoned
her son, leaving him with neighbors and relatives, so
Manson spent most of his early years in West Virginia,
Kentucky, and Ohio. She went to prison for armed
robbery in 1939, and Manson lived with his aunt for
three years while his mother was incarcerated. She
reclaimed custody after being paroled, and Manson
lived an essentially nomadic lifestyle with her until
she relinquished custody to an Indiana caretaking
institution when he was twelve (Bugliosi and Gentry
10 In Helter Skelter, Manson Prosecutor Vincent T. Bugliosi (with
Curt Gentry) (1974) provides the definitive synopsis of Manson’s life from
birth through his convictions for the Tate-LaBianca murders (1974:136–
490).
• callousness/lack of empathy, parasitic
lifestyle
• poor behavioral controls
• promiscuous sexual behavior
• early behavior problems
• lack of realistic, long-term goals
• impulsivity
• irresponsibility
• failure to accept responsibility for actions
• many short-term marital relationships
• juvenile delinquency
• revocation of conditional release
• criminal versatility (Hare, et al. 1992:288).
“An adequate diagnosis of psychopathy must be based
on the full range of relevant symptomatology” (Hart
and Hare 1997:23). Over the last several decades,
experts deemed the PCL-R the “gold standard” (see
MacDonald and Iacono 2006:375 Widiger 2006:158)
in assessing psychopathy, due to its proven ability to
reliably and validly assess the construct (see Fowles and
Dindo 2006:14 Hare 2007:6, 17 Hare and Neumann
2006:59, 63 Widiger 2006:167).
The PCL-R consists of a lengthy semi-structured
interview and review of file information and requires
extensive interview training (Lilienfeld and Fowler
2006:108). According to Hare and Neumann (2006):
The use of file reviews alone is a nonstandard
procedure but one that is used by researchers
who are unable to conduct interviews with
offenders or patients. In some cases, the file
reviews are part of postdictive or retrospective
analyses designed to identify variables related
to behaviors or events that occurred before
or after the compilation of archival data. The
advantages of such analyses are that a great
deal of useful information can be gathered
in a short time, and that it is not necessary to
wait years to find out if a variable ‘predicts’ a
particular behaviour or event (e.g., recidivism).
A disadvantage, at least with respect to PCL-R
assessments, is that without an interview there
may not be sufficient information to adequately
score the items that tape interpersonal and
affective features (2006:66).
Furthermore, “[t]he PCL-R can be scored on the basis
of file information alone, provided that the material
contained in the files is extensive and detailed, and
that the rater acknowledges the limitations of the
procedure” (Hare 1998:101). For the purposes of this
investigation, I will refrain from scoring items on the
checklist and instead use existing documentation to
provide examples of each item of the PCL-R.
Charles Manson Biography10
In times of social, economic, and political upheaval,
psychopaths often emerge in popular culture as
“folk heroes.” According to Hare (1998), “[I]t is not
uncommon for psychopaths to emerge as leaders and
‘patriots’ who wrap themselves in a flag of convenience
and enrich themselves by callously exploiting ethnic,
cultural, or racial tensions and grievances” (1998:104–
105). In the United States, the late 1960s, an era
defined by political, cultural, and racial uprisings (see,
for example, Kent 2001), spawned Charles Manson,
perhaps the most notorious cult leader of the era.
Charles Milles Manson was born in 1934 to an unwed
mother in Cincinnati, Ohio. Manson’s mother led an
unstable lifestyle: dating a series of men, drinking
heavily, and moving often. She periodically abandoned
her son, leaving him with neighbors and relatives, so
Manson spent most of his early years in West Virginia,
Kentucky, and Ohio. She went to prison for armed
robbery in 1939, and Manson lived with his aunt for
three years while his mother was incarcerated. She
reclaimed custody after being paroled, and Manson
lived an essentially nomadic lifestyle with her until
she relinquished custody to an Indiana caretaking
institution when he was twelve (Bugliosi and Gentry
10 In Helter Skelter, Manson Prosecutor Vincent T. Bugliosi (with
Curt Gentry) (1974) provides the definitive synopsis of Manson’s life from
birth through his convictions for the Tate-LaBianca murders (1974:136–
490).
