Plato once said, “For good nurture, and education implant good constitutions.” When a child is raised in a safe environment with loving parents who are able to provide them with everything the child needs, what would influence them to bring harm onto others if they are not raised in a harmful or unhealthy environment? On the other hand, children who are raised in an unhealthy home, with verbal, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse from either a parent, sibling, or relative, how are they supposed to know it is not right to do those actions onto others? The way a child is treated from infancy through adolescence influences them for the rest of their life. What they witness, what they are taught, what they hear, what they experience will depict …show more content…
Majority of serial killers grew up in an abusive household. Growing up in an abusive home life can majorly affect a person’s developing personality, and morals. When a child is brought into a world where they are abused, or mistreated, that will influence their decisions later in life. If they are only treated poorly by the ones who are supposed to nurture and care for them, how are they supposed to know that it is not okay to do those things to others? Serial killers are known for growing out of disturbed or abusive childhoods. They either seek repeat or avenge all the wrongs done to them, and usually target those who harmed them. (Kureshi 2). The author of this article discusses how serial killers grow out of unhealthy childhoods. When they have mistreated their entire life, they want to get their revenge on whoever hurt them. Children depend solely on their parents. They are the ones who brought them into this world, everything they do will affect their child. The relationship between the two is very fragile and is easy to manipulate. Each parent must be ready to realize both the physical, and psychological repercussions of their behavior onto their children, or anyone dependent on them. (Kureshi 3). Parents almost complete control over a child’s development. Their decisions, their actions, their words will all have some sort …show more content…
A person is the way they are based on their childhood. People who have a happy childhood, with loving and caring parents, tend to have a happy adulthood. On the other hand, people who had a poor childhood, with disapproval of their own parents, usually do the same to their children or others around them, sometimes contributing to their murders. Infancy is one of the more important stages in a person’s development. Without proper care, and attention, it can have major consequences. Infancy is one of the most fragile and important stages in the development of a human and their emotions. Infancy is a crucial period for the proper development of emotions for the adult personality. (Vronsky 2004). The first twelve months of a person’s life are critical in the development of emotions like remorse and affection. When a child does not receive adequate attention and physical contact during their first twelve months, they could suffer personality disorders in their future. (Freeman 2). When a child does not get enough love, and affection from their parents, they will end up lacking in the ability to show affection or remorse. If they are not taught that from infancy, they will not learn it. Infancy is a crucial period in everyone’s life, and it should be taken with a serious, but gentle hand. As infancy can have major effects on the developing adult personality, childhood trauma can
We can all agree that serial killers are unpredictable scary people but when it comes to why they kill, everyone has a different view. In my research paper I will get into the mind of a serial killer and try to figure out what exactly sets them into uncontrollable rage.
The nurturing of individuals plays a role in the making of killers, as 94% of serial killers had experienced some form of abuse as children and 42% have suffered severe physical abuse (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010). A child abuse is a determining factor, in which supports the idea that serial killers and psychopath, are influenced significantly by nurture (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). In most cases social, cultural and physiological determinants all play a role in influencing serial killers to grow into a mass murderer. It is important that physiological and social determinants can be identified, so they could be altered for the purpose of preventing the number of crime.
There have been many theories over the years about how a person becomes a serial killer, and how does having an unstable childhood effect a person. It has been proven by psychologist and stated by serial killers that their childhood is one of the many problems they faced that led them to become a serial killer. The childhood of a typical young boy would consist of loving parents, a stable home and having friends. As for serial killers this is not typical at all. During the childhood of a serial killer it is not uncommon that he or she was abused, raped, or even attempted suicide along with many other harmful acts that a child should not be faced with. There have been many studies on the childhood of serial killers, and how they grew up compared to other young children. Some of the traits most male serial killers have as a child would include killing animals, auto-erotic activities, physical head injuries, and even bed wetting.
A great deal of people try to blame the children's parents, friends, and society on why the child is awful, but no one can ever look at a child when they are first born and say, “That child is bad.” (Goldhill 1) They cannot do that simply because there is no proof of how that child will turn out when the child grows up. The biggest influence on the child is the child itself. The
...Wayne Gacy and Richard Ramirez. The sadistic behavior of a serial killer implements as a direct result of physical and emotional abuse received from a parent. Individuals who were victimized in childhood will become a victimizer in adulthood because victimization was modeled to them during their learning stages of development. Furthermore, the normal bonding experience that should occur between parent and child has not, and the moral and ethical restraints that were not implemented during the development of the superego are lacking. Not only has a parent child bond not been secured, but also the bond between the individual and its society. Therefore, the catathymic crisis, social learning theory, social control theory, and the structural model of personality confirm that a neglectful childhood environment is the ultimate cause of the development of a serial killer.
The obstacles we go through in life and how we react to them defines us. Likely, the environment, especially the home environment, plays a very big role in the development of a serial killer. Usually most serial killers have gone through some sort of childhood trauma which later on results in their acts. Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer who was a quiet, shy man and had committed several murders on young boys and men. Jeffrey Dahmer’s father was an engineer and his mother would usually suffer from psychotic breaks, depression and sucidal thoughts. His father was never emotionally present and his mother was too self involved with her diseases. Dahmer made no connection with a person he trusted. Dahmer was constantly bullied at school and he was so lonely that he once bought a mannequin that he would lay next to when his parents were not home (Martens, 2011). As Maslow would say his need to belong was not met at home or at school. Negative childhood traumas increase the likelihood of psychotic tendencies in adulthood. It is not shocking that he found solace in the sense of being powerful by killing
Validating the theory, anyone can be a serial murderer, though given society’s implemented morals, they often blur the line between the killer instinct and an innate instinct, which has lasted and served as a “survival tactic” in times of peril throughout the history of mankind. Serial killers often yield to this instinct, as a result of various psychological malfunctions, genetic disorders, and motives. No need to fear, in the following article “Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture”, an article posted by the National Center For Crisis Management. American Academy of Experts In Traumatic Stress, a site dedicated to improving support for victims before and after a crisis has occurred, researchers debate whether serial killers are products of a nurture or natural environment by assessing the works of Sigmund Freud and sociologist Arnold Arluke.
Are serial killers born with the need to kill, or is it something that they learn to do as they grew up? There are many theories as to why people become serial killers, but most are associated with the Nature vs. Nurture Theory. Many side with the nurture theory believing that serial killers are created from horrible childhood traumas like unstable households and abusive parents. While other people choose the opposite side of the spectrum: biological factors. Psychologist try to examine the brain of a serial killer through the use of MRI scans, conversations, and genetics in order to find abnormalities in the brain. Whichever side of the theory one may take, one has to be aware that not all serial killers are the same. Serial killers are separated into three or more different typologies: psychopathic sexual sadist, visionary serial killer, and the mission serial killer (Miller, Part I, 2013).
To begin with, numerous reasons for why a child acts in the manner he exhibits and why he continues to exert such dangerous and even fatal schemes. Recent research shows that factors ranging from inherited personality traits to chemical imbalances and damages suffered in the womb can increase the odds that a child will become violent (Johnson 234). Experts argue that no one is predestined to a life of crime. They believe that influences such as repeated abuse, extreme neglect, poverty, media violence, and easy access to guns play the major role in molding children into criminals. The father of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer wonders, "If potential for evil is in the blood that some of us pass on to our children" (Seifert 23).
According to Freud, human personality is divided into id, ego, and superego (law). The id comes from the latin root “it”. Id consist of “urges , impulses, and intense energies.” This has to do with sexual dives which is a large factor in serial killers. Serial killers identify with sexual drives from their younger years. It comes in play is fantasy play which is images and feelings of inappropriate items. If having to much of this in childhood can cause some discrepancies in behavior. The superego focus on morals. It is the “complete opposite of Id.” It is the “aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society - our sense of right and wrong.” This cycle happens
A popular belief is that an abusive childhoods and other psychological factors influence the fate of a serial killer. Actually, most infamous serial killers are known to have abusive pasts. The environment in which a person grows up in plays a huge part in the molding of a serial killer. When children are abused at a young age, their abusers are practically “teaching” them to become cruel monster with no guilt for their actions. These children lack empathy because it was never shown to them. Being exposed to extreme violence or neglect, can cause a person to kill. Experiencing child abuse, whether it be emotional or physical, contributes to the way serial killer develops the way they do. The abuse usually comes from a parent, a school bully
Serial killers have fascinated and intrigued the world for centuries. It seems like everybody wants to know why serial killers do what they do and how they can live with themselves after doing something so terrible. Some may believe that a serial killer is anyone who kills more than one person, but the FBI defines serial killers as someone who murders at least three people with significant pauses between incidents (Culture and Understanding). There are two main theories to explain the behavior of serial killers. One being nature and one being nurture. The nature side of this theory about serial killers says that people including serial killers, do what they do because they were born that way, usually due to a chemical imbalance in their brain or inherited characteristics. The nurture side of the argument says that people do what they do and make the decisions because of the way that they were raised, what they were taught and things of that sort. One example of how nature affects serial killers is psychopathology and one example of how nurture affects serial killers is being brought up in an abusive home environment. Both of these things can contribute to serial killers behaviors.
“Over the years, the media has assembled an almost generic profile for [serial killers]: They’re white male outcasts. They’re evil geniuses and sexual predators who target women and children” (Mysteries 128). Many people would generalize serial killers into those three categories, but in reality, serial killers come in all different variations and have their own reasons behind their madness. Serial killers’ behaviors and personalities have perplexed and intrigued society over the years, and has the public wondering what drives them to commit the violent crimes that they do. Psychological disorders have been proven to have an effect on the behaviors of killers. Are these disorders an excuse for their actions? Victims are chosen based on the personal preferences of their killer, and many serial killers continue to choose their victims based upon similar characteristics. Studies have revealed that the personalities and behaviors of serial killers are based on their motivation to kill, effects of their
“75% of serial killers around the world come from the United States” (Rotella). Some people consider serial killers to be born a killer; however there are quite a few examples of events and reasons that cause people to turn to killing. The biggest examples are being abused as a child, mental or physical disabilities, and lust. Being abused as a child is not a direct connection to serial killers; however it damages the person at a very young age which can result to serial killing. Disabilities are very common in serial killers, unfortunately, this will never change, and the disorder causes them to be unable to control their behavior. Lust is most common in males, in which the root from where they desire to kill comes from the rejection or abandonment of someone they have feelings for, this anger builds up and the person has no idea how to deal with it. The media continues to really hide the threat that serial killers in America really are. If this continues, America will be a bigger and bigger target for killers all around the world. In view of this, early trauma as a child causes humans to grow up with a sense of anger in them.
There aren’t many people killed by cereal, but there are many killed by serial killers. These people can be determined by many factors. Some of these factors can be