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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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Recommended: Psychology theories about serial killers
Kyra Joray Joray 1
Curtis
English 10H
10 March 2014
The Serial Killer Mind
“We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.”
Bryan White once said. Basically White is saying, childhood is a very fragile state and as a kid you’re learning social norms by what’s around you. Kids born into or raised around strange situations can affect the type of person they grow up to be. As an adult, you learn more about the logical way to act around other people and how your mind works. Certain experiences can alter the way a mind functions, and can result in a human lacking logical consent. Some people may seek guidance to control any urge they may experience while others chose to act upon their feelings. Once any violence is pursed, a criminal is born. A criminals mind makes different choices, ignoring whatever right or wrongs a normal person would know. This unhealthy brain can make a killer, whether they are mission oriented and kill to accomplish a mission, are hedonistic and seek thrill and pleasure, or are visionaries and kill because of an illness from birth altering...
In the book, The Serial Killer Whisperer: How One Man’s Tragedy Helped Unlock the Deadliest Secrets of the World’s Most Terrifying Killers, Tony Ciaglia writes letters to various serial killers and starts a friendship with them. The friendships Tony’s build’s with these serial killer’s through phone calls and letters helped law enforcement in more than one way. The serial killers trust Tony and opens up to him about things they’ve done and why. The Serial Killer Whisperer gives readers an inside look of serial killers minds. Although the letters in this novel are between Tony and various serial killers, Pete Earley is the author. He interviewed Tony and his friends and families. Pete Earley is also the author of three New York Times bestsellers and he has won the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime. Ealey wrote this gripping tale in a way that would captivate any audience.
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
The article “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains”, by Paul Thompson, states “While research on brain-tissue loss can help us to understand teens better, it cannot be used to excuse their violent or homicidal behavior”. Thompson writes how even though teens cannot be understandable, they have a certain behavior that was caused by violent or harmful issues they've had at their young childhood. Another example would be in the article “Juveniles Don't Deserve Life Sentences”, by Gail Garinger, says “These children were told that they could never change and that no one cared what became of them”. This shows how these kids can have negative feelings about what they are told at a young age, leading to crimes. Every teen that has committed a crime has had a certain issue or negative way of growing
Studies show that traits of a serial killer can be seen in a person at a very young age. Most warning signs go unnoticed which is why the growth of the killer continues. A thing such as animal cruelty is one of many clues inside the growth of a serial killers mind “They often start out their careers by maiming, harming, and torturing small animals.” “In extreme cases, they have been known to spend hours inflicting a slow death on animals...this is a form of control that allows them the power to crave” (Kocsis,2008) . Many future serial killers also show a major interest in setting fires. Even though it is common for most young children to show a slight interest in fire, those with serial killing in their future are somewhat pyromaniacs. Psychologist say serial killers have a fetish with fire that is equivalent with an arsonist “Arson is psychologically attractive because it involves manipulating power and control, something that serial killing also offers” (Myers, 2006, p.904) they can even start out as arsonist before they develop fully into their careers of serial killing. Many of the characteristics given above can be easily seen in a child but are ignored either because the guardian does not care or because they believe the child will “grow out of” whatever phase they are going through. The fact of the matter is that these are psychological problems that will not just fade away with age. The cause of most of these behaviors in most children is due to impulse control and the reward center in the brain. When a child does things such as set fire to things or torture helpless creatures it boost the reward system in the brain causing them excitement , pleasure and the want to continue this behavior because they feel enjoyment from...
Serial killer is a type of murder which can categorized as a crime and deviance. Serial killer can defined as individual who performed a murder or kill one and above in a separate and more events (Siegel, 2011). According to Siegel , he argues that some experts try to seek classifactions of serial killers based on their motivations and offense patterns for instances,thrill killers,mission killers,and expediences killers. But according to Egger (1984),he postpulated that meaning of the serial killer not only heart in numbers of people have been kills by murder and duration of the time for each of the murder take place nevertheless must take consideration the attitudes of deviant.We can divide serial killer into two types such as male and
Serial murder investigations are the most difficult cases for investigators. Serial murder investigations can become wide spread, and can include many challenges that will require time, money and resources. An example of the commitment required to investigate a serial murder case is that of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. One investigator worked the investigation full time for 11 years. The day he made the Arrest was the day he retired. Serial murder is one of today’s most terrifying crimes. The killing of multiple people within various jurisdictions can alter everyday life for people residing within these communities. The result is intense pressure from the public and media placed on investigators to track down and apprehend these killers who commit such horrific acts to unsuspecting victims.
A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a "cooling off" period between each murder, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification. Most people do not understand what can make a person want to kill multiple people for no reason other than own satisfactional gain. In actuality serial killers have been studied for over hundreds of years, and the information that has been documented continues to grow. The research that I have gathered about serial killers focuses on their childhood development, the differences and similarities between men and female serial kills, and finally general information on how their brains operate and their motives for committing such harmful acts.
Serial killers have captivated the attention of scientists from the first signs of their existence to modern day. Interested by these killers’ inhumane actions, researchers set out to determine the cause of such graphic, horrific crimes. The brain has been brought into question regarding the motivation of these cold blooded killers. After extensive research, abnormalities of both the chemical composition and material makeup have been identified within the brains of numerous serial killers. These differences are more than mere coincidence, they are evidence that killers do not think in the same way. The killers’ drives and motives are irregular, just as their brains are. Not only are these variations interesting, but they are also crucial to the justice system in regards to the punishment of past, future, and present sequential murderers. It is important that as a society we learn the differences in the mind of a killer, and also recognize and understand them. A serial killer’s brain greatly differs in function from the average citizen’s brain due to physical variations in the brain and a different chemical makeup.
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).
What drives a person past insanity? What drives an individual to feel no remorse, but rather a psychological relief in murderous acts? Consider all the different types of people on Earth as well as the lifestyles and situations these people are raised up in. As much as it’s desired to think the world is filled with people who carry no such thing as a bad bone in their bodies, that thought process is simple deception. The fact is that psychopaths and sociopaths hide among others in everyday environments - neighbors, teachers, family members, doctors, friends, or even the local mailman. Psychopaths are declared as people who suffer from a mental disorder causing aggression and abnormal behaviors such as their “lack of
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 brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Since the beginning of time, scientists and neuropsychologists alike have studies its composition and how it influences human behavior. However, no human behavior has baffled researchers more than serial murder. Serial killers are dangerous animals that act upon bizarre influences that have fascinated the human race for thousands of years. Many wonder what could cause a person to take the life of another innocent soul. Do internal factors cause them to do it? Is it their environment? What causes a serial killer to kill?
This means that these children committing these crimes were taught that they shouldn’t kill, steal or do any of these things that can get them into trouble. Like in the article, On Punishment and Teen Killers, Jenkins states,”When a teenager murdered her and her husband in 1990 in suburban Chicago, she was pregnant with their first child”(Jenkins 1). This juvenile has been taught that murder is the worst crime you can commit, yet chose to do it. Not just do it once, but to kill three people? Why would you let someone like have a chance at being able to walk the streets again.
A few times each year, our ears perk up when the news is turned on. On occasions there will be news about a murder of a young child or all the way to an old being. Murder is seen as a disgusting happening. Murder is seen as a disgusting hobby. Murder is pure disgust. Eyes fill with hatred when the picture of the serial killer is viewed. They are not human beings, they lack emotion and their eyes are filled with the desire to kill. With quick judgment, people don’t see what’s in the inside. All they see is an emotionless, cold blooded killer. What makes them do what they do? In no way is murder acceptable but there’s always a reason for it and the typical person fails to see what’s through the fog standing between him or herself and the killer. Humans are all born the same, and are shaped to be what they become. There’s always a past that is forgotten but in many cases it isn’t. Serial killers are in the wrong for taking lives from innocent people. Their actions are certainly not justified but they are misunderstood as people do not know what triggers their killing spree.
Everyone is born to be good, but as we grow up the society or the environment around us influences us. Things we see and do everyday changes our way to act from good to evil. In the society we are living today; crimes are happening everywhere. An example would be in the article, The Reckoning, written by Andrew Solomon interviews the father of the Sandy Hook Elementary killer, Adam Lanza who was 20 years old when he fatally shot his own mother in their home, twenty-six people at his former elementary school, and himself. This article is good example because it shows from my perspective that being absent in your child’s life can lead to horrib...