Psychopathy and psychopathic bullying

One women yelling at another version of herself
 
 

According to Robert Hare, a respected researcher and developer of the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R), psychopathy is characterised by qualities such as:

  • Manipulativeness

  • Superficial charm

  • Deceitfulness

  • Impulsiveness

  • Remorselessness

  • Emotional shallowness

  • Lack of empathy.

Psychopaths are renowned for their ability to bully, especially with their lack of empathy, deceitfulness and manipulativeness. This creates significant problems for organisations. People with psychopathic personality disorders are often able to become untouchable and this provides them with ongoing opportunities to inflict harm on those they target. They are adept at recruiting and grooming followers, and they are masters at gaslighting. 

Not all people who bully are psychopaths. Fortunately, psychopaths are rare. The more common form of bullying is perpetrated by people who simply lack self-awareness and don’t sufficiently care about how their behaviour affects other people. These ‘situational’ bullies tend to only bully in certain situations, or when they are upset about something. When challenged about their behaviour and when they are shown the effects on people, they can become remorseful and motivated to change their behaviour. 

Psychopaths are incapable of empathy. They may pretend to be empathic or sympathetic when it suits their needs, but they are unable to have any real capacity to empathise. Their inability to have remorse, be accountable, or change their behaviour makes them high risk for organisations and for those who work with them.

Some people have psychopathic tendencies but are not psychopaths. A person may have low capacity to empathise and be unremorseful when challenged about their behaviour. This alone does not make them a psychopath. For example, a manager may be task oriented and forceful, may lack communication skills and be unaware of the way their behaviour affects others. However, after being faced with the damage they have done to someone, this same person will become remorseful and make amends.