Aileen Wuornos is “America's First Serial Killer”. She was born February 29, 1956 and died October 9, 2002. At the age of 35, she was found guilty of first degree murder and robbery for killing six men and robbing pawn shops in Florida. Merton's strain theory is a theory that suggests that individuals may turn to violence or criminal behavior when they experience too much stress or strain. The application of strain theory to the Aileen Wuornos case can reveal how societal exclusion and lack of relationships may contribute to the development of criminal behavior as a coping mechanism. In early life Aileen grew up with an alcoholic and abusive father but later on that she had gone through various cases of traumatic events as well. At the age of 9, her …show more content…
They gave birth to her baby and then put him up for adoption at the age of 14. At age 11 she also began trading sexual behaviors for beer, money and cigarettes. She then began hitchhiking her way across the country, trying to fend for herself by engaging in prostitution. Strain theory, developed by Robert Metron, suggests that society puts pressure on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals such as wealth and success but people won't provide equal means to reach them. This will ultimately lead to strain, causing frustration, which in turn can push individuals towards committing crime as a way to achieve their goals or alleviate their frustrations. In strain it is stated that there are 5 different adaptations which are conformity, ritualism, innovation, retreatism and rebellion. Retreatism is the adaptation to strain in which an individual does not buy into conventional goals and also does not buy into conventional means of reaching
Bodies Piling Up In early December 1989, while scavenging for scrap metal along a dirt road close to the Volusia County, Florida section of Interstate 75, two young men stumbled upon a body with severely decomposed hands wrapped in a rubber-backed carpet runner. The victim had been shot 3 times with a 22. Because of the severe decomposition of the victim's hands, it would take some time to identify the victim as Richard Malloy, an electronic repairman who had gone missing 13 days prior. Because the murder of Richard Malloy seemed to everyone to be a random criminal act, it came as a surprise to many when another male body, also shot several times, was found in a wooded area of Citrus County, Fl., not far from where Malloy’s body had been found barely six months prior.
Aileen Wuornos is one the most famous psychopathic serial killers in the world. Not only is she one of the only female serial killers, her killings are unlike any other there has been. She exhibited psychopathy traits since birth and her abuse as a child didn't help matters. She killed 6 men in the span of year and told police she was the victim in all the cases, not admitting to intentionally killing them to many months later. After getting caught by the police and going through a long, tedious trial she was found guilty of all her charges and was charged with the death penalty. There is a very good chance that Aileen could have experienced a normal life, but the abuse she endured ruined that for her at an early age.
A. Aileen Wuornos was born to a teenage couple. Her father was arrested for child molestation and hung himself in jail. Her mother abandoned her, and the maternal grandparents assumed guardianship. Most of western culture can agree the abuse of a child is a deviant act. In the case of Aileen, what social factors and “social controls” impeded the recognition of such deviant behavior?
Agnew (1995) does recognize that, while situations in life can create pressures toward deviance and violence, strain does not inevitably lead to violent behavior. However, Agnew (1995) argues that the effect of strain on deviance and violence is conditioned by the personal and social context in which strain is
“It’s a good thing Florida has the death penalty, because if it didn’t, I would kill again,” Aileen Wuornos.
(Attention Getter) We are fascinated by them, hypnotized by their true-crime exploits in books, and motion pictures. We bestow unabashed affection upon these multiple murdering sociopaths known as serial killers. As gendered pronouns indicate, serial killing is a man’s game.
The proposal of Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory in explaining criminal deviance is based on three concepts. The first concept is that people are not naturally inclined to commit crimes. Rather, their transition towards deviant behavior begins when they experience strain. The second concept is that once strain is present, depending on the severity of the stain, a person becomes victim to their own negative emotions like anger, jealousy, and frustration. Their response to those negative emotions may expedite their transition. The third concept looks at a person’s ability to cope with the strain and negative emotions. If a person has poor coping abilities they tend to become overwhelmed by the strain and the negative emotions they are feeling as a result of strain. Poor coping abilities may cause someone to commit crime in hopes of rectifying their situation. (Agnew, 2011)
The present paper intent to enquire into a female serial killer. It shall describe and analyze the theories behind the occurrences and sequent offer explanations. The studies of criminology theories it is important to recognize why humans decide on living a life cycle of crime. Wikipedia.org defines serial killer as, “a person who murders three or more people, usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant break (a “cooling off period”) between them.” Precisely of this, humans who tend to be a serial killer are prone to developmental and physical characteristics. Several of these trends could fit into a model standard of a crime. A good example of analyzing the life and crimes of Aileen Wuornos, an American female serial killer who killed
Aileen Wuornos killed seven men. Her life story is one of abuse, neglect, abandonment and violence. Wuornos’ disturbed behaviour from a young age failed to attract positive intervention or support, although she easily fit the criteria for the disorders with which she was later diagnosed. Although Wuornos was made a Ward of Court at age 15 (“The Case of Aileen Wuornos - The Facts”, n.d.) within a year she was alone, unsupported, living rough and surviving as a prostitute (Note, 2004). This case study examines whether psychological theory supports the premise that Wuornos’ background and life experiences led to the offending which culminated in her becoming a serial killer. Relevant risk factors in her life are also evaluated in terms
The General Strain Theory scope has an intention of providing a clear explanation for why and why not crime occurs across all levels of society, while maintaining that stress is a major cause of criminal involvement. When people experience negative emotions, such as anger, frustration, or depression, they are in result unhappy and upset, thus experiencing strains or stressors (Ganem, 2010). Crime is then a way of reducing or escaping from these strains, and it is their method of coping with their emotions. According to Agnew, “Strains refer to events or conditions that are disliked by individuals (1992,
General Strain Theory was discussed by Robert Agnew, and first published in 1992. According to General Strain Theory individuals engage in crime because of strains or stressors which produce anger and anxiety (Agnew, 1992). Crimes become the outlet that the individual uses to cope with or remedy the strains or stressors. Agnew states that there are three different types of deviance producing strains.
In classic strain theory it is said that, Classic strain theory focuses on that type of strain involving the inability to achieve success or gain a middle class status. General Strain theory focuses on a broad range of strains, including the inability to achieve a variety of goals, the loss of valued possessions, and negative treatment by others. General Strain Theory has been applied to a range of topics, including the explanation of gender, race/ethnicity, age, community, and societal differences in crime
Aileen Wuornos Carol born on the 29th of February 1956 was one of the most famous serial killers of all times. Regarded as the first female serial killer in the United States, Aileen depicts the life of thousands of other people around the world whose lives were either changed or altered by their biological, environmental and developmental factors that made them to commit unimaginable crimes. This study analyzes the life of Aileen beginning with the crimes she committed. In addition, the study will examine the biological, developmental and environmental factors that led to the crimes she committed. Theories that could be applied to her actions including factors such as psychopathy will also be analyzed together with how they may have led to her crimes. In conclusion, the court
Strain theory is the inability to achieve one’s goals because of the loss of positive stimuli, or the presentation of negative stimuli. Strain theory may play a pivotal role in some of my peer 's lives due to their inability to achieve their goals. In class we talk about how strain theory cause great deal of crimes through means of certain strains or stressors, which increasing the likelihood of crime. Examples of Stressors and strains is not having positive role model this may influence crimes to happen. Other issue of strains that may play a role in crime is the inability of gaining monetary success. Monetary success usually cause problems that arise due to the lack of income or lack of quality education that would drives individuals to commit crime. My perspective to general strain theory is that a lot pressure was put on me to succeed in life, and that played a factor in my of my own strain to succeed, we didn’t have a lot income in the house, but my parents did provide everything in order for me to succeed. People such as Robert Merton believed that when societal norms only accepted goals, such as the 'American Dream, ' which then place pressure on the individual to conform, they force the individual to either work within the society has produced, or instead becomes a members of a deviant subculture in an attempt to achieve those
“According to Eric Hickey (Author of Serial Murderers and Their Victims), stress caused by childhood 'traumatizations' may be a trigger to criminal behavior in adulthood. It is important to understand that most people go through one or more of these traumatizations with no lifelong effects. However, in the future serial killer, the inability to cope with the stress involved with these trauma...