psychoanalysis in serial killers

Discuss the relevance of psychoanalytical theory in understanding sadistic serial killing.

Research on serial killers is vast, as there is a lot of information about them, however there is more of an attraction and sexualisation formed from TV shows and documentaries where behavioural analysis is used in order to determine serial killers. This takes away from some of the academic literature and some people thinking they know everything when it comes to serial killers, although there is a lot more to it then solving the crimes of a murderer who may have raped and eaten their victims, such as Jeffrey Dahmer, who will be discussed in more detail.

So in this discussion the main theories that will be used to interpret the relevance of psychoanalytical theory in understanding sadistic serial killing, will be psychopathology and how genetic and environmental influences can determine a serial killer (Rowley, Ewing & Singer, 1987). It will be explained how interpersonal rejection can make an individual feel socially repudiated and therefore their lack of remorse and empathy grows stronger, believing if no one cares for them then they want to take that away from someone else (Rubin, Burgess, Coplan & Menzer, 2002). Also psychosexual theory will be discussed with the Oedipus complex with an obsession with the mother, in order to please her, this all will be discussed further in a lot more detail (Nemiroff & Colarusso, 1985). Furthermore, with the understanding of being fixated in the phallic stage it will be discussed about Jeffery Dahmer and some of the reasons as to why he kept carcasses and had sex with them, giving us a better understanding of a serial killer, through psychoanalysis (Solloway, 1992).

Rubin et al (2002) also explains ...

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...e help through therapy rather then when the serial killer is older and therefore brutally killing a lot more. The problem that I discovered with this question is that psychoanalysis is so broad; it is physically impossible to write about everything, and even when it was narrowed down to psychopathy, interpersonal rejection and psychosexual theories, even that is extremely extensive to narrow down. Another problem faced was with the literature, there were vast amount of literature on psychoanalysis, but again narrowing it down to fit the criteria of a serial killer was very difficult and the findings based upon serial killers is magnified, where I could not tell whether it was truthful or like a TV show. Overall, however psychoanalysis does play a huge part in understanding a serial killer, due to their upbringing and social ostracism making them lonely and isolated.