David Berkowitz: Abnormal Psychology

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A criminal’s reasoning for committing a crime begins with the psychological study and environment of the criminal. Usually they have specific abnormal characteristics and were raised in an unhealthy environment as a child. David Berkowitz also known as the Son of Sam, is a serial killer who is currently imprisoned for committing six murders and several injuries to others around New York City in 1976-1977. He focused his killings on young women and young couples. As a new born, David was adopted and grew up a troubled child. He grew up with the thought that his biological mother had died during childbirth with him and he lived with the guilt and anger of that which is believed to have caused his mental illness. He suffered from depression …show more content…

This was due to the shortage of time spent with his adoptive mother, and knowing his biological mother wasn’t really deceased at childbirth, and just gave him up for adoption. This caused the anger that he had towards women. David’s biological father was also deceased which made him different from everyone else around him. He didn’t have parent role models in his environment, which is the norm for other children and families. He desired attention, which most serial killers do. David Berkowitz should have received mental help at a young age because it was needed, but it was not up until after his murderous actions where he was diagnosed with a mental …show more content…

His first murder committed was to a young fifteen year old girl who he stabbed. Next was the shooting of two women in the Bronx. After three months, he targeted a couple who was sitting in their parked car, and two girls just walking on the street leaving one paralyzed. The winter time came around in the beginning of 1977 and David’s crimes did not stop here. He approached another couple sitting in their car, and shot them with a .44 caliber just as he used in all of the other crimes, so the cops were finally able to link all crimes that were being committed to one criminal. The next victim was in March of 1977. She was a young female college student who was shot by the killer on her way home from class. The following month, another couple sitting in a parked car was killed by David, but this time he began leaving letters for police, taunting them how he would not be caught and he referred to himself as the Son of Sam. The last and final attack before David was caught took place in Brooklyn on August 10th, 1977, with the shooting of another couple. Of all these people injured and shot by David, six of them were killed. (David Berkowitz

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