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It is not easy to convey this concept, that of a biologic organism
outwardly intact, showing excellent peripheral function but
centrally deficient or disabled in such a way that abilities, excellent
at the only levels where we can formally test them, cannot be
utilized consistently for sane purposes or prevented from
regularly working toward self-destructive and other seriously
pathologic results (Cleckley, 1976).
The Professional Role
It is my intention to become a forensic investigator who works with and studies the
psychopathic offender for the purpose of adding to the knowledge about this elusive personality
disorder in order to protect the public and explore new potential for treatment for this type of
offender. I have kept a strong interest in this specialty since the beginning of my graduate study
here at Walden University; indeed, this is the second term paper I am writing on the subject and I
have, by now, amassed a considerable amount of research on the topic. It is my hope to separate
myth from fact regarding this most dangerous type of offender, as well. It fascinates me that this
condition exists, this personality disorder steeped in antisocial behavior and hallmarked by
charm, glibness, lying, emotionlessness, manipulation, childishness, impulsivity, coldness and a
chaotic lifestyle. Many psychopaths who become violent end up in confinement and that is
where I would expect to do a good deal of work, interviewing them in prisons and psychiatric
hospitals. I would administer various personality tests (including the renowned PCL-R
psychopathy test devised by Robert Hare) to measure the prevalence of the condition and hope to
establish a level of trust with the offenders so that they would feel comfortable talking to me and
giving me special insight on the psychopathic mind. The personality disorder was first mentioned
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in 1806 by French doctor Phillipe Pinel to refer to “insanity without delirium” (Cleckley, 1976),
indicating a serious mental disturbance without psychotic features. The word psychopathy itself
comes from the German word psychopastiche, which literally means suffering soul (Kiehl, K.,
Hoffman, M., 2011). Though psychopaths represent one percent of the adult male population in
America, they represent between fifteen and twenty-five percent of incarcerated males in
American prisons, and are fifteen to twenty-five times more likely to commit crimes that land
them in prison than non-psychopaths. There is no other variable more correlated to being in
prison than psychopathy; sixty-two percent of the male prison population is comprised of violent
offenders but seventy-eight percent of imprisoned psychopaths are there because of a violent
offense. Also, one study found that more than fifty percent of police officers killed in the line of
duty are killed by psychopaths (Kiehl, 2011). Psychopathy is also a significant predictor of
sexual violence; tested subjects with a high PCL-R score and a positive sexual deviance response
were highly likely to have committed a violent sexual offense and to recidivate upon release
(Kiehl, 2011).
In most other disorders the manifestations of illness can, however,
be more readily demonstrated in the setting of a clinical examination.
In contrast, it is all but impossible to demonstrate any of the fund-
amental symptoms in the psychopath under similar circumstances (Cleckley, 1976).
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Ethical Challenges
In a correctional setting like jail or prison the psychopath is squarely under the control
and authority of the state; in prison he is convicted and incarcerated. As a forensic psychologist
conducting research and offering therapeutic services, however, the mandate goes beyond
confinement and control. “Practitioners must also act as double agents, balancing the imperative
of managing risk to society with the care of the patient. The fact that forensic clients may be
contained, and subject to treatment against their will, creates ethical flashpoints” (Barnao, M.,
Robertson, P., & Ward, T., 2012, p.81). A common trouble area for psychologists in forensics is
becoming caught up in dual roles or multiple relationships. Under APA guidelines for Human
Relations is 3.04: Multiple Relationships, which specifies that a psychologists should refrain
from entering into such dual roles (requested to serve a professional role by the legal client while
another relationship exists with the person in question) when the multiple relationship will have a
likelihood of adversely affecting the psychologist’s objectivity, competence or effectiveness in
performing his or her functions, or if there is a risk of exploitation involved (American
Psychological Association, 2010). Acting as a double agent opens the door for problems under
this ethical guideline. A similar guideline to this one is Guideline 3.06 Conflict of Interest (APA,
2010) that cautions psychologists from accepting professional assignments if there is a chance
that other professional, scientific, legal, financial, or personal interests on the part of the
psychologist could interfere with their performance or expose the person to harm or exploitation.
Forensic professionals like criminal profilers who routinely interview serial killers in prison in
hopes of finding information about unsolved cases, locations of dead bodies, or about the
psychopathic mindset in general often write memoirs and books, some of which end up being
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made into major motion pictures, and care must be taken in every case that no harm or
exploitation comes to anyone involved in the process, whether it is the offender or his victims.
Ethical guideline 3.10 Informed Consent, moreover, is another important obligation to anyone
working as a psychopath investigator or researcher; psychologists must obtain informed consent
of the person being studied or treated in language easily understandable to the person (APA,
2010). The person, even if a psychopathic killer, is still a human being with rights to privacy,
albeit limited by laws pertaining to the investigation and discoverable evidence.
His glance was fresh and arresting. His movements were quick,
and he had an air of liveliness vaguely suggestive of a chipmunk.
Though preposterously boastful, he did not show any signs of a
psychosis (Cleckley, 1976).
Diversity and Cultural Competency
According to Hare (1994), there are around two million psychopaths in North America
and the average prevalence of psychopathy in American prisons is about 28%. There is no
empirical indication as yet of the differential rate of psychopathy across cultures present in the
literature (Toldson, 2002). While psychopathy itself is likely the oldest specified mental disorder
in human history, it does not seem to align itself to certain racial or cultural cultures or groups.
African-American men are more likely to take the PCL-R test than white males are; this is likely
due to the ongoing racial disparity in American prisons, where black males are overrepresented
for their minority population. In a Bureau of Justice Statistics test done in 1997 it was found that
while African-Americans commit crimes at three times the rate of whites in America, African-
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Americans are incarcerated at seven times the rate of white offenders. In terms of violent
offenses, black inmates were more likely to be in jail for a violent crime, but among violent
inmates a higher percentage of whites (76%) than blacks (60%) injured their victims (Toldson,
2002). White men were 70% more likely to commit a violent crime against a child and were
more likely to have sexually assaulted their victims than black inmates (33% versus 14%).
Though the crime rate is higher for black men than white men, 98% of all serial killers in
American history have been white males, but despite an assumption that psychopathy rates must
then be higher among white men, epidemiological studies focusing on racial representation in
cases of psychopathy and violence simply do not indicate a prevalence for a particular racial or
cultural representation of psychopathic populations (Toldson, 2002). Anecdotally we have stories
of psychopathy being recorded in societies as diverse as ancient Greece (Alcibiades, a charming
man without conviction) to the Yoruba of Nigeria and the Inuit of Alaska in Neolithic cultures.
The Yoruba concept of the “aranakan, a person who always goes his own way regardless of
others, who is uncooperative, full of malice, and bullheaded” was of someone deemed to be
untreatable (Toldson, 2002).
The investigator, however, must still be prepared to assess and treat representatives of
any race or culture, especially if psychopathy truly plays no favorites. If we look at killers, yes,
Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Gary Ridgeway, Fred West, Henry Lee Lucas and their
contemporaries were white males and did much to establish the mental image of a psychopathic
killer, but then we also have non-white offenders like Wayne Williams (the Atlanta child killer),
Sirhan Sirhan, Anthony Sowell (Cleveland serial killer arrested in 2013), Myra Hindley (British
female Moors murderess), Aileen Wuornos (American female executed for multiple murder), not
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to mention the Arabic September 11th killers, most of whom likely spoke little or no English. To
do a forensic analysis on any of these killers would require a different approach than would the
typical white male killer. Understanding socioeconomic and political factors of diverse groups,
such as the 9-11 killers or Sirhan Sirhan, helps any forensic assessment and treatment plan. In
addition, research suggests that mental health professionals who show an interest in clients’
cultures or who act in culturally relevant ways are perceived as more trustworthy, credible and
competent by clients or researchers of color (Arredondo, P. & Toporek, R., 2004). The
Competencies developed by the Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development
(AMCD) is focused on interpersonal interactions, research, assessment and organizational
development, mandating cultural competence, and maintaining ethical standards (Arredondo,
2004). They argue for increased attention to interdependent social identities (age, ethnicity,
gender, and race) and attention to competence and ethical preparation with all clients, regardless
of cultural background (Arrendondo, 2004).
For myself, I will need to become familiar with a foreign language, like Spanish, in the
future and study up on cultural skills to increase my awareness of different values and customs.
It would be a challenge for me to work with female Latino populations, for instance. I would be
cautious about doing forensic work with this population since it is so different from mine.
Keeping this in mind, I would: interact with the client in their language if possible, respect the
role of family members and community structures within the culture, study the inherent cultural
and religious beliefs, work to eliminate biases and prejudices, and think holistically about
addressing the needs of this culture, including possible social, environmental and political factors
that could affect members of this population, especially in the case of psychopathic people.
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Going in, I do feel that I am strong in researching, talking with people and showing empathy and
identification.
Ethical Blindness
