Charles Manson and the Family

Abstract

In 1969, Charles Manson and his “Family” of followers killed innocent people in an attempt to start a counterrevolution in the United States. Despite the notoriety of this cult leader and his followers over the past 40 years, the sociological literature on crime has not addressed the dynamics behind these seemingly senseless killings. To our knowledge, no serious attempt to apply criminological theory to these murderers and their actions has been made. In this article, labeling theory, general strain theory, and social learning theory are used to explain these murders using a case study approach. The article begins with a description of the goal of Manson’s actions. The murders that took place and their victims are briefly summarized, and several criminological theories are introduced. Charles Manson’s life is then chronicled, and the theories’ connections to events in his life are illustrated. The article also highlights the lives of three followers and how the theories relate to particular events in their past history. The article concludes with a discussion of the limitations of this study and directions for future research.