Serial Killer Research Paper

Oxforddictionary.com defines a serial killer as “ a person who commits a series of /ns in their childhood that make them into serial killers. Robert Hansen showed signs of becoming a serial killer when he committed arson. Resler and Douglas, FBI criminal profilers, created a profile of serial killers. They concluded that future serial killers may commit ". . . arson as predictive[ related as a result ] of adult violence , particularly serial killers and rapists"(List). Hansen was convicted of arson and showed this characteristic when he burned down a bus barn in his home town. Robert Hansen admits that he experienced an ineffective social environment when telling police " During my junior high or high school days I could not control my speech at all . I was always so embarrassed and upset with it from people making fun of me that I hated the word school ” (Krajieck). Hansen self-diagnosed himself when he told police that his stuttering was the

reason behind his sexual desires.

Hansen stated to police “ ' From the scars . . . on my face you can probably see, I could see why girls wouldn’t want to get close to me ' "(qtd. in Krajieck). Hansen also stated that his acne was the reason for his sexual desires.
Serial killers live and go through certain environments like many others in society but certain environments they have gone through cause them to become serial killers. Robert Hansen’s parents, like many other parents, would ignore him as a child, but this certain situation led him to become a serial killer. According to Douglas and Ressler's article published in Journal of Interpersonal Violence, adolescents who become serial killers" . . . experience an ineffective social environment. They have parents or guardians who ignore their behavior” (Dias and Dingeman). Evidence proves that serial killer’s parents will ignore them as

children. Robert Hansens father was strict and made Hansen’s stuttering problem worse. Dr.Hickey, proffesor of criminal psychology, state's " ' Most serial killers tend to come from homes where there's been much dysfunction; there's been child abuse, sexual abuse; a lot of abandonment, rejection by family members' " (Kast). Evidence proves that if a serial killer comes from a home, which there is child abuse, and a lot of abandonment the child will become a serial killer. In Robert Hansen’s case both his parents did not pay attention to him and forced him to write with his right instead of his left. This caused Robert Hansen’s stuttering problem to worsen and cause more physical harm to him. Hansen’s father was he very strict and this limited him to doing stuff. Hansen stated to the police men, “ ' I would see my friends and so forth going out on dates and so forth and had a tremendous desire to do the same thing' "(qtd. in Krajicek). Robert Hansen lived in an isolated environment where his father was very strict and where he had to work long hours at his father's bakery and could not socialize which made him into a serial killer. By being isolated and unsocial this would turn Hansen into the serial killer he was.
The childhood and environment of Robert Hansen can be related with his criminal behavior. Robert Hansen committed arson which research has proven is a characteristic for a serial. Hansen not only committed arson but he also stated to police that he had problems for example stuttering, and a really bad acne problem. Hansen blamed these problems for his behavior and his sexual desires which he self-diagnosed himself with. Robert Hansen had a strict father which abused Hansen by making him write with his right and instead of his left. This contributed to Hansen's criminal behavior, by making Hansen's stuttering problem worse which made him socially awkward. Even though Hansen was socially awkward he wanted the same thing as his friends, but could not have the same thing because of how strict his father was. This proves that Hansen's childhood and environment contributed to his criminal behavior.