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Psychology theories about serial killers
Essays on the psychology of serial killers
Essays on the psychology of serial killers
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John Wayne Gacy in his early years was shown to have a minor biological impairment. At the age of 11, Gacy was playing near a swing set and was hit in the head causing an accidental blood clot in the brain. The blood clot was not discovered until he was 16 years old and he suffered from blackouts from the clot from the ages of 11 until it was discovered. There was a brain blockage that medications were able to dissolve. Gacy also had a series of health problems that kept him hospitalized for a significant amount of his childhood. His health issues included a heart condition, an erupted appendix, and numerous blackouts and seizures. After Gacy was executed, there were many autopsies that were done on his brain to see if there were neurological impairments. After doing numerous biopsies, there was not a trace of evidence to conclude that John Wayne Gacy suffered from neurological issues. PSYCHOLOGICAL John Wayne Gacy suffered from many psychological issues that are shown to have led him to crimes. Gacy was found to have been suffering from Anti-social Personality Disorder that could ha...
John Wayne Gacy, Jeffery Dahmer, Henry Lee Lucas, Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh, Ann Rule, Angel Resendez, David Berkowitz, Albert DeSalvo, Ottis Toole, Eddie Gein, and Herbert Mullin, what do all of these serial killers have in common and why did they kill? This is the question I am going to answer in my paper. I am going to examine several killers and their childhoods, mental disorders, and types of killings they performed.
Gacy to seek out acceptance throughout his life and it also created a fascination with being in
When Gacy was eleven years old, he was playing by a swing set, and was hit in the head by one of the swings. The accident caused a blood clot in little John's brain. However, the blood clot was not discovered until he was 16. From the age of eleven to sixteen he suffered a series of blackouts caused by the clots; when given medicine, the clots disappeared along with the blackouts. At the age of seventeen, Gacy was diagnosed with a non-specific heart ailment. He was hospitalized on several occasions for his problem throughout his life, but they were not able to find an exact cause for his pain. However, although he complained about his heart(especially after his arrests) he never suffered a serious heart attack.
John Wayne Gacy was first brought up on charges of “deviate sex acts” in 1968 (Stevens, p.237, 2004). Gacy served eighteen months for this offense and was soon free to begin his killing spree. After his release from prison, Gacy began luring boys and young men to his home then killing and sexually assaulting them. A few the boys were employees of Gacy at his construction business and others were boys he lured with the promise of employment. Gacy would trick the boys claiming he was showing them a magic trick, since he often worked as Pogo the clown, and would handcuff them in his basement before killing and assaulting them. The police began surveilling Gacy, who acted as if their surveillance was a joke (Stevens, 2004). One officer, after accepting an invitation to Gacy’s home for dinner, smelled the “telltale odor of decomposition and rotting flesh while in the bathroom when the furnace fan turned on” (Stevens, p. 240, 2004). The officers investigated the smell by examining the crawl
Infamous serial killer, John Wayne Gacy, was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. Gacy, born into an abusive environment, was assaulted physically along with his siblings, with a razor strap if they were perceived to have misbehaved by their alcoholic father. In addition, Gacy’s mother was physically abused as well throughout her marriage and during the children’s upbringing. During John Wayne Gacy’s childhood education, he suffered further alienation due to a congenital heart condition that resulted in further feelings of contempt from his father. Furthermore, Gacy eventually came to the realization that he was attracted to men, which caused a great amount of mental turmoil over his sexuality.
Throughout all of American history there have been those who are well known for committing what are classified as deviant or criminal acts. Most of those who are well known by the public for their actions have committed deeds seen as extremely controversial such as being cult leaders, gang or mafia members, terrorists, rapists, or killers. The lists of members for each topic is numerous, however, there are a certain few that are more prominent than others. One criminal that stands out when speaking of killers in particular is Gary Ridgway, or as he is better known, the Green River Killer. Gary Ridgway is the nation’s most abundant serial killer, with the highest murder rate in America’s history (Gibson).
A serial killer is defined in Webster's Dictionary as someone who murders more than three victims one at a time in a relatively short period of time. There is no one generic profile to identify a serial killer. They usually are people seeking for a sensation, a lack of guilt or remorse, a need for control, impulsivity, and predatory behavior. These traits make up a psychopathic personality disorder. Psychopathy is a disorder manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, manipulation, and occasional violence to control others, in order to satisfy their own wants and needs. There are four main types of serial killers; thrill seekers, mission-oriented, visionary serial killers, and power and control killers. There may be other
Serial killers have long eluded law enforcement while simultaneously grabbing the attention of the public, and now more than ever, criminal psychologists are beginning to understand what makes a serial killer. In his true-crime documentary, In Cold Blood, Truman Capote depicts the horrifying murders of four members of the Clutter family and the search to find the criminals responsible for the deaths. Eventually, two killers are caught, one being Perry Smith, a detached and emotionless man. And although his carnage of the Clutters labeled him a mass murderer, many of Perry’s personality traits are characteristic of a serial killer. In fact, if detectives had not caught him, Perry could have easily become a serial killer.
Much is unknown about the Zodiac killer, but given what is known about serial killers in general, this man was probably born between 1938 and 1943. That would make his age between 25 and 30 years old at the time of his first murder in Vallejo, California, in 1968. Also, that age estimate works with witness statements and it's supported by Zodiac's references to his victims in younger terms in his letters of 1969. Zodiac wasn't an attractive character from what we know. He may have had to wear glasses throughout his youth and his facial features weren't all that pleasing. So overall he may have been unpopular as a young boy and spent a good deal of time alone. It seems as though rejection is a big issue for Zodiac. No one knows anything about the Zodiac's parents but it wouldn't be ridiculous to say that there was domestic violence, broken relationships with parents or guardians, and maybe even a physical or sexual abuse in the household. Considering the adult outcome, Zodiac would have turned out to be an angry, withdrawn, loner, whose adolescence just could have been filled with fantasies and irrationality.
John Wayne Gacy Jr. is one of America’s infamous serial killers, who is known by most people as the killer clown. From being beaten by his alcoholic father to murdering and sexually taking advantage of teenage boys, the general strain theory and social bond theory will be applied to Gacy in explaining the strengths and limitations of each theory, along with empirical evidence. This paper will discuss the background characteristics of Gacy, containing relevant information for the purpose of applying the general strain theory and social bond theory to Gacy. Each theory will describe the conceptual basis, address empirical evidence for and against the theories, and identify the limitations. Explicit connections between Gacy and the theories will
He was involved in politics, he was a local civic leader. Even named man of the year. He was involved in democratic party politics. Gacy was even photographed with the first lady, Rosalyn Carter. There was a different side of Jaycee life in Waterloo, one that involved wife swapping, pornography, prostitution and drug use.
An analysis of the most famous murderers and serial killers in the Chicago area shows varying degrees of psychopathy or mental illnesses, which ultimately contribute to homicidal comportment. Analysis also shows that...
Gacy to seek out acceptance throughout his life and it also created a fascination with being in
Despite all this Gacy worked very hard at trying to be liked. He was an enthusiastic member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce as "Pogo the Clown" a children's entertainer.
For glibness, Gacy received a 2. He was an incredibly smooth talker, which led to him being a great salesman. His superficial charm is incredible. For grandiose sense of self-worth, he received a 1. He was cocky and believed that he was better than other inmates because he did not deserve to be there. He believed himself to be a victim of the system. For need for stimulation, he received a 1. He moved around and changed relationship and career a couple times however, this was mostly in response to his criminal charges. He did not complain about being bored with his life or with school as a child. For pathological lying, he scored a 1. He only lied to keep himself from being incarcerated before he was and after, he made up stories to say that he was framed. For conning/manipulative, he scored a 1. Gacy used his business as a way to find victims. He would also entice his victims by promise of sex or employment (Hickey, 2016). For lack of remorse, Gacy scored a 2. He expressed no regret at all for any of his actions, he even blamed the victims and their parents for them being such easy targets. For shallow affect, Gacy scored a 1. He seemed to be able to experience a range of depth of emotion but not wholly. But he did not really claim to be close to anyone or provide details about his relationships. For callous/lack of empathy, Gacy scored a 2. He had no regard for people besides himself. He tortured his victims and then mocks them later calling them “worthless little queers and punks” (psychologytoday.com). for parasitic lifestyle, he scored a 0. He was a successful businessman and the closest he got to being dependent on family for money is when his father-in-law gave him a job. For poor behavioral controls, he scored a 2. Gacy was prone to violent mood swings. He was short tempered, according to his first wife. However, there was no evidence of him being an