Serial Killer Essay

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A serial killer is a person who commits more than two murders with a cooling off period in between each one (). Serial killers in society all have similar characteristics and patterns that can be detected, however each killer has different aspects to them. For example, how and why they kill. Psychologists have been able to find similarities between killers that can help spot behaviors of a killer. Researchers also know that serial killers are often psychopaths that have experienced some type of assault or neglect. Ultimately there is no answer as to why serial killers do what they do yet, and psychologist are hoping to find enough research to be able to identify, treat, and prevent serial killers in the future. Serial killers can be anywhere in society and people have no clue where to look or find them. The killers among us live very normal lives and often seem normal at first. People who have the desire to kill many people are psychopaths and what is assumed about them is that sometime in their life they have been through …show more content…

One method of studying these killers is taking a scan of their brain. Scientists look at the brain patterns occurring in the frontal lobe, which is associated with self control and empathy (Fallon, 2004). Typically a serial killer will have a rare pattern unlike regular people (Fallon, 2004). The other way to identify certain characteristic is by looking at family history. Violent behavior is often inherited through generations of family. One gene known as, monoamine oxidase A or the warrior gene is an inherited gene that causes someone to have violent behavior (Pigliucci, 20). This gene is why scientist and researchers look at family history when studying a serial

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