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The psychology behind serial killers pdf
Essays on the psychology of serial killers
The psychology behind serial killers pdf
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A Closer Look on Serial Killers 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, …show more content…
Most of them come from broken or abusive families. John Wayne Gacy, Gary Ridgeway, and Ed Gein were all physically and verbally abuse by a parent and most likely endured some type of trauma (LaBrode, R). Childhood abuse has been the main factor in the development of a serial killer. According to Ressler's research, 100 percent [of serial killers] had been abused as children, either with violence, neglect, or humiliation; moreover, over 40 percent of the [serial] murderers reported being physically beaten and abused in their childhoods and more than70 percent said they had witnessed or been part of sexually stressful event when young (Mitchell, H., and Aamodt, M.). Many serial killers' methodology of murder traces back to their childhood traumas; inflicting their pain to others into. This can be seen most apparently in the case of Edward Kemper, who ripped his mother's throat as he revenged for all the years of verbal and emotional abuse he had sustained from her; showing no empathy or guilt for that matter. In many cases, serial killers kill a certain group or "class of persons" to construct revenge towards a person who might have hurt them in the past. Like for example, Carl Panzram, who only murdered young males of the age he was when he got raped by a group of gang …show more content…
They have no close relationships with friends or family members. When this group of serial killers choose their victims, is usually when the opportunity is brought to him, like an impulsive action. They do not plan their attacks or take any steps to cover up their tracks; they usually kill at one site and consider their mission over, leaving behind evidence such as blood, semen, fingerprints, and the murder weapon. A character of this type is usually compelled to perform other rituals with the victim's dead body, like cannibalisms, sexual intercourse, or cutting it up; they tend to depersonalize the victim with a "thing" or "it." Moreover, considering their careless mechanism, they tend to move cities and even states a lot to avoid arrest. Disorganized serial killers are very straightforward: messy and
Most serial killers have a background of neglect and abuse. They may suffer from a mental illness. Also, brain injuries may contribute to their psychopathic tendencies.
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
According to federal law, the term ‘serial killings’ means a series of three or more killings, not less than one of which was committed within the United States, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor or actors. Throughout history, serial killers have always been a fascination among many individuals. On numerous occasions, law enforcement has tried to dive into the psyche of these killers to determine why they kill. There have also been numerous stereotypes placed on serial killers. Typical stereotypes are serial killers are all white males, loners, and that their crimes are driven by sex.
Whereas, disorganized serial killers typically have low IQ’s and are extremely antisocial. Pick their victims at random whenever the opportunity crosses. They find themselves compelled to perform rituals with every victim. It’s also known that some of these killers suffer with a history of mental illness.
In order to identify serial killers before they kill repeatedly, a person needs to study the characteristics that make up this type of criminal. Most serial killers have been abandoned, by one or both parents, they are emotionally, physically, and even sexually abused by a family member, or relatives from unstable families who have criminal, psychiatric and alcoholic histories, or tend to have hate for their parents and people in general which makes them have antisocial personality disorder. They have conflicted, pained, or tortured animals at a young age and most are highly interested in gaining control over things. Even though not every serial killer posses these characteristics, most share these characteristics the same way they share the psychological need to have complete control and power over people. Dennis Rader was one normal average citizen until he shocked the public when he was caught as a serial killer who caused tragedy in their town.
Taking the life of another person is one of the worst infractions of the law to commit. The Bureau of Justice defines serial killing as “[involving] the killing of several victims in three or more separate events” (“Michigan” 1). Serial killers often commit extremely violent crimes; they usually become infamous for these crimes. The first recorded serial killers are probably Jack the Ripper in 1888 and Fritz Haarmann in 1924 (“Michigan” 1). Jack the Ripper is also one of the most well-known criminals, almost everyone knows who he is or has at least heard of him. Most people know what he is famous for and associate him with being a bad person. Serial killers are typically sadistic and sociopathic, meaning that they are unable to feel empathy for people who are suffering (“Michigan” 1). Whimsical sociopaths who have sadistic tendencies are very dangerous. They inflict pain because they do not care that someone else is suffering, they only care that it makes t...
A serial killer is traditionally 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. Several serial killers have a definitive and common personality profile.
The mind of a serial killer can be very interesting in being able to find out what makes them want to do what they do. Knowing if someone was abused as a child and if this makes them more likely to become a serial killer or not become a serial killer is something I was very curious to learn about. Something that happens in a person’s childhood can affect the way they act when they become adults. I found two sources talking about childhood abuse and serial killers. The first source was an internet article entitled “Serial Killer Motives” found on the website How Stuff Works and was written by Shanna Freeman. The second source I found was a video entitled “Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer” which is found off of the website Big Think. This video was narrated by Michael Stone. Both of these sources are able to answer the question if childhood abuse or neglect makes someone more or less likely to become a serial killer later on in their lives.
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 issue.(Sanmartín,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. They have no sense of remorse or guilt. Most of the time they are not in serious relationship or have any emotional obsession to any one person, besides their victims. Most of the well-known serial killers are: Robert Pickton, Charles Manson, Anthony Sowell, Ted Bundy, The Zodiac Killer, The Green River Killer, and The BTK murderer. (Sanmartín,2001). Often, women were never seen as even a suspect
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 many frightening facets. The most frightening thing about them is that experts still do not know what makes a human become a serial killer. Many experts believe serial killers become what they are because they have a genetic disposition or brain abnormality while other experts believe that a serial killer is created by childhood abuse; and some other experts believe that it is a combination of both brain abnormalities and abusive childhood experiences that creates a serial killer. A murderer is considered a serial killer when they “murder three or more persons in at least three separate events with a “cooling off period” between kills” (Mitchell and Aamodt 40). When defining a serial killer, their background, genes, and brain are not mentioned; perhaps one day those aspects of the serial killer can be included.
Mitchell and Aamodt state, “100 percent of serial killers had been abused as children, either with violence, neglect, or humiliation” (De Becker 55). Although this number seems quite high, percentages vary among articles from 100 percent to 40 percent (Mitchell and Aamodt 40). Famous serial killers: John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and many others, had very unstable childhoods (LaBrode 155). They have typically been abused as children, suffered trauma, and have been abandoned at a young age (LaBrode 155). Childhood trauma is a common factor when studying serial killers as all of them have endured abuse in some form as they were growing up. “As children, fledging serial killers often set fires, torture animals, and wet their beds,” (LaBrode 154) even at a young age, they lack empathy and perform cruel acts on animals who are essentially defenseless, relishing in the dominance this allows. LaBrode suggests that many serial killers, at one point, “had inappropriate relationships with their mothers,” (155) either engaging in sexual acts with each other or witnessing their mothers in a sexual situation. It was common for the serial killer to target women who reminded them of their mother. “The relationship between maternal characteristics and victimology are too similarly close to disregard; there is no question that these killers’ relationships with their
'Serial murder'; has long been a term used to describe those human beings that repeatedly commit heinous crimes. It is rare that the average person probes the mind of a serial killer without bias. However, what lies behind the eyes of a serial killer deserves more than the cold hard look that society so often gives (Aaronson, Inter...
...lso the children who carry characteristics of psychopaths. “Roughly 40% of all reported murderers were neglected in childhood and carried psychopathic characteristics” (“Serial Killers” 2). There is no complete answer for why serial murderers kill, but there is
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).