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Mental illness and crime correlations
Mental health and crime correlation
Juvenile delinquency caused by abuse
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Did you know a study by Heather Mitchell and Michael G.Aamodt at Radford University states that there are various types of childhood abuse such as physical,sexual,psychological,and neglect? These different types of abuse occur at a higher percentage within serial killers than the general population.Many professionals ranging from FBI agents to psychologist believe that all serial killers have been abused as children.Although ,other professionals such as a sociologist argue that childhood abuse does not contribute 100% to the forming of the serial killer.
There are three particular points which argue as to why there is a link between child abuse leading to future criminals.To start off,in the past many children who were victims of childhood abuse were living with a parent or legal guardian who did not consider the outcomes of their actions, so this specific event that occurs serves the child as an example to follow later on.Secondly,the child will experience one or multiple type of abuse which will influence them to be the type of killer they end up becoming.Lastly,since unwanted memories are formed due to the abuse, this has an
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impact on their standard of living.If we educate kids and adults about various kinds of abuse like psychological abuse, verbal abuse, and neglect; it will increase awareness for them.Therefore, making them more likely to report their own abuse early on will allow professionals to help them decreasing violent behaviors, and significantly decrease their chances of becoming serial killers. To begin with,Child abuse leads to the victim suffering the consequences for the elder one’s actions.Many of the guardians who care for the child don’t realize this since,they simply do what they do without any consideration towards the child.For instance,“children will see parents commit violent acts, and will model their behavior “(qtd. In Martin 739) .This helps demonstrate the fact that when a child is under their respected elders care and they get abused,it will later on impact them in a negative way which will lead them to have an unwanted life in prison.When this incident occurs it will eventually lead to the child following the elder ones actions later on since,they are viewed as a role model for them. Violent occasions have an impact on the child by having them look up to their guardian and get the wrong solution to future problems in a radical way.In the database it is recalled that,research proves that instead of hitting them they should communicate with them due to the fact that abusing them leads to unclear messages for the child when it comes to dealing with a real problem(qtd. In Martin 739) .This demonstrates the fact that violence isn’t the only solution in which the guardian should deal with their child.If the legal guardian hits their child they should stop and think that it’s better to communicate this will let the child learn to communicate when there are problems and not simply get filled with rage. When experiencing any type of abuse, the child will learn from it and think it right as well as wish it upon others so they take action.With such severe events the child will find the urge to try it on someone they know thinking it is right.According to an article from Fiona Guy, evidence from research shows that there is a high chance of connection between criminals and murderers being victims of childhood traumatic events who later on have criminal activity when they are older ( Guy Paragraph 4).Due to this research it proves that when abused it all results to the child having a form of criminal activity regardless. Therefore,based on the history of child abuse and serial killers, the victim uses the actions as a model,as a way to solve problems,and the type they experience will determine the type of killer they turn out to be. When the child suffers from physical abuse they will then have fear in their parents.This fear makes the parent have total control and restrict the child's freedom of speech or action to stand up.The book Born Killers which tells us about the siblings of Ivan Millat , who is a serial killer that has been studied, and what they suffered.
The abuse has had a bigger impact on Ivan than his other siblings.Their father affected them with this by causing them to have fear in him.The book demonstrates,“The Millat children had an absolute fear of their father”(Born Killers Barry Dee).This supports the main point due to the fact that as a result of this one of the Millat children, Ivan, had grown up to be a serial killer since their father had developed them to fear him due to abuse.Sexual abuse also leads to a different kind of killer
eventually. Another abuse is sexual this leads to lust serial killers who commonly target young people.Later on in the book Born Killers it is noted that,Jeffrey Dahmer who is a well known serial killer had an experience when he was little. It emphasises how he had been sexually assaulted in the woods near his home.(Born Killers Barry Dee).As a result of this he had later on been arrested for killing seven-teen young men which shows the event in his childhood triggered him to take action among teenage boys.Psychological abuse has the most effect on children up until their adult lives. Another common abuse would be psychological abuse which usually happens during childhood.This type of abuse is in fact one of the most common one.For example,”This study depicts that psychological and sexual abuse appear to be the leading types of child abuse among serial killers “(From Abuse Victim to Serial Killer Gabrielle).This study is proof that most serial killers have experienced psychological abuse,being a victim of this kind of abuse leads to them having a higher chance of criminal activity. To sum up,whether the child has experienced physical,sexual, or psychological abuse they will eventually still have a for of criminal activity and influence the kind they are.There is a higher chance if they have experience psychological abuse out of them all. Children who get abused tend to become more impacted socially.The abusive past they’ve had makes them have a short temper.It has been noted in Fiona Guys article that,”In 2015, there has been studies done on 50 criminals in which it is proven that they have been abused in some way 50% suffered psychological abuse.”( Guy Paragraph 14).Based on this statistic, it is assumed that due to abuse those who can’t seem to fit in socially turn to violence as an answer when they are out in where they live mostly due to the fact that something can throw them off and they will react negatively.Not being able to control their temper socially will lead to them being lonely and end up in prison since,they turn to violence as a way to fit in.Some victims of child abuse not only have bad actions but also bad decision making. The victim of child abuse will have a poor lifestyle due to the fact that they haven’t learned from their guardians other than to be abusive.This will affect them later on because this will result in them making irresponsible decisions for themselves.For instance as stated in this source by a college student, there has been research that shows child abuse leads to the victim leading to alcoholism and drug use as a result to have an escape from reality since, they have such traumatic events happening at home(From Abuse Victim to Serial Killer Gabrielle).This shows that in order to have an escape from the abuse happening at home when the child grows up they will usually have a wrong path and lead to a negative lifestyle,the fact that they turn alcohol or drug use shows that the guardian was too busy being abusive than to talk to them about the outcomes of drug use so they don’t go down the wrong path . To conclude, these actions will have an impact on the victim and its society.Children who are abused tend to turn to even worse cases as an escape leading to a negative lifestyle as well as having problems socially which will lead them to turn to violence as a solution. Informing others about the negative outcomes of various types child abuse will get people more aware of what they go through.This will help decrease the amount of criminals who end up living in prison,having a high chance of criminal activity,and becoming serial killers.It is important to take action upon this because, not many cases of child abuse are reported.By the time anyone reports it they are too late because it’s possible the victim has already had a radical situation.However,I can see why some professionals argue that childhood abuse does not contribute 100% to the forming of the serial killer.First of all, this statement shows a logical flaw which is known as hasty generalization this fallacy occurs when an inference or conclusion is drawn on the basis of insufficient evidence. This specific statement has not been proven.There has been no research showing that child abuse does not lead to serial killers in fact, most of the research that has been done proves that there is actually a link between child abuse and criminals.Therefore,it is safe to say that since,there has been no proof regarding the fact that child abuse leads to serial killers,the arguments made that there is a connection between child abuse and serial killers is more relevant. If people believe that there is no connection at all after proving that there is, prisons will then be overcrowded by criminals who have been victims of child abuse and no one reported it.Therefore, informing other about this will change that outcome and it will also help the victim be able to have a positive life after being saved.In order for this to succeed if anyone witnesses a child being abused they should automatically report it to prevent the child to become a criminal later on in their lives.
In many cases, serial killers began their lives as remotely normal human beings. Most, however, have detectable characteristics of murderers before they hit puberty. Otis O’toole, for example, started a neighbourhood fire when he was six. George Adorno was even younger when he first displayed his pyromaniac tendencies by setting fire to his own sister when he was four. Along with pyromaniac behavior, other often-cited warning signs are enuresis (bed-wetting) and cruelty toward animals. Often, serial murderers are abused physically, psychologically, and sexually as children, sometimes from a stranger, but in most cases from a trusted family member or friend. Typically, they come from broken families, usually...
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.
This in turn led the child to hate his father for leaving. Although fatherlessness plays a role in some of the serial killers’ lives, abuse occurs more often than not among the soon to be mass-murderer's childhood. Physical abuse does not present itself as the only form of abuse that a child endures, sexual abused occurs most often among them. Some of the most notorious serial killers possess an abused childhood. John Wayne Gacy, ‘who killed thirty-three people which consisted of mostly of teenage boys, had an alcoholic father who abused his whole family. At the age of nine, Gacy’s neighbor also molested him multiple times (Be a Stoic – 24 Brutal Life Advice Quotes from Ancient Rome). One of the most famous woman serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, suffered sexual abuse from her grandfather after her parents abandoned her (Be a Stoic-24 Brutal Life Advice Quotes from Ancient
Most serial murderers have been deprived of any control over their home, their body, and their entire life. “Psychokillers take their fantasies and make them a reality living their dreams” (Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture 2). Both physical and especially emotional abuse is the consistent, reoccurring factor among a majority of serial killers. Traumatic abuse in childhood has long been viewed as a primary cause of violent behavior in adulthood (Dolan 24). Abusive parents do not generally vent their anger equally on all their children. Such parents tend to unleash the anger and negative emotions on their more difficult children; this potential aggression and physical and emotional abuse of the child shapes the future criminal. “Most serial murders are not classified as psychotics, but rather as psychopaths- their perception of reality is clear except that they feel no social or moral obligations” () Killers are taking control of their own lives through their fantasies in the only way they know fit, through
A serial killer is traditional defined as the separate killings of three or more people by an individual over a certain period of time, usually with breaks between the murders. (Angela Pilson, p. 2, 2011) This definition has been accepted by both the police and academics and therefore provides a useful frame of reference (Kevin Haggerty, p.1, 2009). The paper will seek to provide the readers with an explanation of how serial killers came to be and how they are portrayed in the media.
The way a child is raised can affect their mental state as adults proven by Nannie Doss’s history. Since we never caught the Zodiac Killer we can’t compare their childhoods, but in the Zodiac Killer’s psychological profile he grew up in an abusive home. A person can also become a psychopath/ serial killer due to traumatic brain injury. As you can see, a serial killer can be born or raised a cold blooded
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).
There have been many theories over the years about how a person becomes a serial killer, and how does having an unstable childhood effect a person. It has been proven by psychologist and stated by serial killers that their childhood is one of the many problems they faced that led them to become a serial killer. The childhood of a typical young boy would consist of loving parents, a stable home and having friends. As for serial killers this is not typical at all. During the childhood of a serial killer it is not uncommon that he or she was abused, raped, or even attempted suicide along with many other harmful acts that a child should not be faced with. There have been many studies on the childhood of serial killers, and how they grew up compared to other young children. Some of the traits most male serial killers have as a child would include killing animals, auto-erotic activities, physical head injuries, and even bed wetting.
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.
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.
Mitchell, Heather, and Michael G. Aamodt. "The incidence of child abuse in serial killers." Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology 20.1 (2005): 40-47.
Could the male serial killer commit these murders for more personal reasons, than just an urge? In some male serial killers there is a non-violent tendency that can prove that they are killing based on a motive rather than the need to kill. Although countless serial killers that have been in the news and are widely known have been killing based on urge, there are a series of men who kill due to the fact that they have no choice. Whether it 's their reputation on the line, a relationship, or a job. They have the motive to kill based on their life and the circumstances. After all the FBI does consider a person who has made three consecutive kills a serial killer. So throughout this essay I will show that there is furthermore to the male serial
Mass Murderers and Serial Killers are nothing new to today’s society. These vicious killers are all violent, brutal monsters and have an abnormal urge to kill. What gives people these urges to kill? What motivates them to keep killing? Do these killers get satisfaction from killing? Is there a difference between mass murderers and serial killers or are they the same. How do they choose their victims and what are some of their characteristics? These questions and many more are reasons why I was eager to write my paper on mass murderers and serial killers. However, the most interesting and sought after questions are the ones that have always been controversial. One example is; what goes on inside the mind of a killer? In this paper I will try to develop a better understanding of these driven killers and their motives.
The nurturing of individuals plays a role in the making of killers, as 94% of serial killers had experienced some form of abuse as children and 42% have suffered severe physical abuse (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010). A child abuse is a determining factor, in which supports the idea that serial killers and psychopath, are influenced significantly by nurture (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). In most cases social, cultural and physiological determinants all play a role in influencing serial killers to grow into a mass murderer. It is important that physiological and social determinants can be identified, so they could be altered for the purpose of preventing the number of crime.
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).