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Psychology of a serial killer
Child sex abuse and the affects into adulthood
Child sex abuse and the affects into adulthood
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Serial killer is a person who kills three or more people with a cooling off period between murders and these murders may go on for a period of months or years. The murders that this person commits may have similar fashion or the victims may have something in common, for example, occupation, race, appearance, sex, or age group. Psychology is the science and study of human behavior and mental processes. Moreover, it is the study of human minds and its function. Krafft-Ebing (1886) found that the serial killer had been through cruelty of animal; enjoy the torture and the pain of their victim during his or her childhood period. Moreover, the mothers of these serial killers were most of time working or doing other things and usually the father were absent. These children experience rejection and lack of attention, therefore, this child grows up having low self-esteem. Research show that adults that gone through abuse and violent behavior during their childhood were three times more likely to become violent as adult more than the non abused adults (Dutton & Hart, 1992). Freud (1940) was the first to do the link between sexual abuses during the childhood and adult abnormal behavior. As a result of that serial killer uses sex as a way to let out his or her anger and aggression. The sexually acts of the serial killer is not only about sex, but it is about revenge, power, and control. “Serial killers are unconsciously trying to kill off their repressed sexual pain and powerlessness. Every stab into the victim’s flesh is a stab against their own childhood sexual terror and pain, and the rage that accompanies it is a rage against those who tormented and terrorized” (Knight, 2006, p. 1199-1200). To take off the aggression and need to compensate the horrible memories of the childhood explain the reason why serial killers abuse animals during their childhood. When they were children they control pets and they can harm them knowing that the animals can fight back. Therefore, they feel themselves as if they were in absolute power. This animal torture later will turn in to human victim torture. Charister Clause and Lars Lidberg (1999) used five characteristics from Shahriar disorder that are common among serial killers.
Serial killers are a type person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern. Most of the time something triggers them and then they go on their serial rampage. Some things that can be part of a serial killer's profile is they are normally white males, late 20’s early 30’s, kills with in own race, method of murder is hands on, and their victims are selected because they share specific characteristics. The types of serial killers are disorganized asocial and organized nonsocial. The different types of serial killers are: missionary killers, power seeking, lust killing, visionary killer, thrill killing. The profiling of a serial killer's changes upon the
Knight, Zelda G. "Sexually Motivated Serial Killers And The Psychology Of Aggression And "Evil" Within A Contemporary Psychoanalytical Perspective." Journal Of Sexual Aggression 13.1 (2007): 21-35. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 1 May 2014.
Hickey (1997), in his trauma control model of the serial killer, argues that various factors can contribute to criminality and in particular to serial homicide. These factors can be biological, developmental, demographic or familial, including childhood trauma (Hickey, 1997, as cited in Miller, 2014, p17). Hickey’s model includes 8 elements – Predispositional factors, Traumatic events, Low self-esteem and fantasies, Increasingly violent fantasies, Trauma reinforces, Facilitators, Dissociation and Homicidal behaviour (Hickey, 2016, p149).
Common psychological disturbances in the stages of making a serial killer are seen in childhood and are usually based upon mental and psychological abuse endured by a child.
Each of a serial killer’s killings temporary gratifies whatever provokes the killer’s actions, and each subsequent killing terminates a separate sequence of behaviors. They are all motivated to for different reasons; some kill to gain or exert power over the victims, entertainment or mission. Some kill because they believe they have the responsibility to they society to do so (Julietta Leung N.D.) Frequently, homosexuals, prostitutes, and the homeless are viewed by serial killers because they might believe they are devalued in society or they view as being beneath humanity. They believe those kind of p...
A serial killer is a person who has killed three or more people over a month apart. Their motivation for killing is usually based on psychological issues. (Sanmartn,2001) In the U.S, the most reported serial killers are lower middle class white males, usually in their late twenties to early thirties (Skrapec,2001). Serial killers, often, are liars.
“42% of convicted serial killers suffered from physical abuse as children ,74% suffered from psychological abuse” (The Psychology of a Serial Killer n.p.). Besides, these children being severely beaten or sexually abused, they are also told that they are worthless, burdensome, and that everything is their own fault. “Emotional abuse impairs a child’s self-esteem, and interferes with his ability to function adequately in society, succeed academically, and form healthy, intimate relationships. Emotional abuse and neglect has been the form of abuse most of them (50%) suffered” (Gerber n.p.). The abuse is not only harmful to the child when it is taking place, but following it. In fact, the effects of abuse cause a disruption in daily life. The sense of worthlessness that the child feels at home causes him to act out in order to display his own self-importance. Usually, abuse causes people to act out not only against their abuser, but also towards their peers. It is an attempt to be seen and receive help. Serial killers continue to exhibit violent behaviors throughout their adulthood. The violence escalates until they end up
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 their own satisfaction 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 male and female serial killers, and finally general information on how their brains operate and their motives for committing such harmful acts. There have been many theories over the years about how a person becomes a serial killer, and how having an unstable childhood affects a person.
In our society, mostly we are influenced by the fantasy based on serial killers, showed in literature, movies, TV Series etc. Not informing the audience with the depth of the serial killer psychological mysteries hidden behind the character’s actions and which led them to where they are. However, In Real-Life Monsters: A Psychological Examination of the Serial Murderer. The author Stephen J. Giannangelo takes an original approach describing the psychological explanation of these criminals instead of repeating the theoretical explanation of these criminals who committed horrific crimes. This book included the author’s personal observation about serial killers and Psychopathology. In the beginning of the book, the author examines the past psychological,
However, as we scrutinize childhood abuse as a possible explanation of serial killer's behaviour, we must take into account that many children have suffered horrific abuse by close family members or carers, but did not grow up to be mass murderers. We therefore cannot assume that childhood abuse is a direct link to a future in criminal behaviour. As well as this, whilst many girls are victimised as children, very few grow up to behave in such a violent sadistic way, turning to extreme lengths of violent behaviour towards individuals. The vast majority of serial killers are known to be men rather than women, which may suggest that other factors are also important and need to be taken into account. Childhood abuse may not be the sole excuse for serial killers, but it is an undeniable factor in many serial killers backgrounds.
Miller, Laurence. "The predator's brain: Neuropsychodynamics of serial killers."Serial offenders: Current thought, recent findings, unusual syndromes (2000): 135-166.
Ever wondered if there is a serial killer in your community? The characteristics of a serial killer may shock you or be surprisingly familiar to some of you. It is important for society to get informed about the various types of serial killers that are out there. It is essential for families to educate their children about strangers, to be careful with everyone they encounter on the streets, store, and even in their neighborhoods. A serial killer is defined as a person who murders three or more people in at least three separate events, with a "cooling-off period" between the kills. The big question is, what makes a person do these atrocious killings? We will analyze personal histories, categorized serial killers,
No need to fear, in following article “Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture”, an articled 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 nature environments by assessing the works of Sigmund Freud and sociologist Arnold Arluke. According to the article Freud provides two theories, from his publication of Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1920), for the aggression human nature demonstrate, by creating the death instinct, which Freud coins as “the most destructive form of behavior” (“Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture”), based off of his observations with people who’d experienced unpleasant experiences in throughout their lives, and the life instinct, which Freud argues, is a microcosm of “[our obsession with maintaining] a better life and [trying to achieve bigger goals…]” (“Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture”). Arguing that a combination of both of these instincts plays a part in the conditioning of serial killers, who is aware their actions are immoral. In contrast from Freud’s theory, sociologist Arnold Arluke “[compares] the criminal records of one hundred and fifty three animal abusers with one hundred and fifty three non animal abusers and [finds] that those who [abused animals] were five times more likely to commit acts of violence such as assault, rape, and murder against others” (“Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture). Implying that children, who take pleasure in harming animals to exert their dominance and power because they feel powerless against their parents, will most likely become serial
So what makes a serial killer? Levin points out that contrary to popular belief, serial killers don't just 'snap'; or 'go crazy'; (Douglas, p. 137). Many of the serial killers have been the victims of childhood abuse. Jack Levin stated 'Research shows many serial killers suffered abuse, incest or neglect as children and develop poor self images'; (Douglas, p. 137). Serial killers often have a childhood marked by the absence of any nurturing relationship. 'They often come from families where the parents were absent or ineffective, where authority was not defined, and where they could engage in destructive behavior undeterred-violent play, cruelty to animals, and incidents of arson being some of the childhood behavior patterns noted among many serial killers'; (Clark, p. 206).
Everybody’s childhood is an important time in their lives. It’s when knowledge is absorbed like a sponge and our character or personality is formed. Every serial killer has a childhood too. Three studies were taken to determine what the cause was and the first examined the effect that sexual abuse had on children. This study compared seventy five children who were never abused and sixty eight who were. The children who were previously abused showed more poor behavior then those who weren’t. It is very common to see a serial killer with depression, low self- esteem and problematic behavior and having prior abuse contributes to behavioral issues. Th...