The Psychology Behind the Serial Killer Creeping around the shadowy house, the predator found its prey waking to strange sounds. The victim lay facedown, with a sweating forehead pressed fearfully into the pillow, silently praying the noises would just go away. Suddenly the victim found himself straddled and pinned to the bed. He was unable to scream for help due to the pressure of the handle of a pick-axe against his throat, preventing any breath from escaping, much less any sound. The victim struggled beneath the weight of the assailant. The scant light from the sodium-arc street light outside cast a peculiar silhouette on the walls of the darkened room, projecting an image that looked oddly like that of a cowboy saddled upon a bucking bull at a rodeo. Struggling to dismount the attacker, the victim felt the piercing blows of the sharp point of the pickaxe, succumbing to death only after receiving eleven stab wounds to the chest and throat. The thrill of the kill was stimulating enough that, when interviewed later, the murderer reported “popping a nut,” that is, becoming so sexually aroused by the event, to the point of having an orgasm (Pearson, 1998). Does this sound like the heinous acts of Jeffrey Dahmer, Jack The Ripper, or Ted Bundy? How about the petite, pretty, fawnlike, Texas teen named Karla Faye Tucker? A woman? A killer? A sexual predator? Never before had such a thing been heard of, until Miss Tucker. Typically, when one thinks of serial killers, such images as Son of Sam, John Wayne Gacy, or the Boston Strangler, come to mind. Though these men do indeed fit the description, there are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the definition of serial killer, first and foremost that serial ... ... middle of paper ... ...1998). Essential criminology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Monahan, J. & Steadman, H. (1984). Crime and mental disorder: Research in brief. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice. Pearson, P. (1998). When she was bad: How and why women get away with murder. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc. Redl, F. & Toch, H. (1979). The psychological approach to crime, in Toch, H. (Ed.). Psychology of Crime and Criminal Justice. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Redl, F. & Wineman, D. (1951). Children who hate. New York: Free Press. Ressler, R. K. & Shachtman, T. (1997). I have lived in the monster. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Severence, L., Goodman, J., & Loftus, E. (1992). Inferring the criminal mind: Toward a bridge between legal doctrine and psychological understanding. Journal Of Criminal Justice, 20. 107-120.
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.
Richman, Sheldon. "The Seen and Unseen in Gun Control." The Freeman 1 Oct 1998: 610-611
...ent Wanner. "Gun Control Laws Do Not Reduce Violent Crime." Violence. Ed. Louise Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Does Gun Control Reduce Crime or Does Crime Increase Gun Control?" Cato Journal 26 (Winter 2006): 103-122. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Jefferson believed that the United could be an imperial power as an empire. The negotiations of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, between the United States and Great Britain ended the American Revolution and opened to door to western settlement. The United States acquired land that extended from Florida and Canada and east to the Mississippi River. Since, Jefferson was a The Democratic- Republic, he believed in the strict interpretation of the Constitution, claiming that the Constitution doesn’t specifically say it then you can’t do it. However, Jefferson was placed in a dilemma of whether to enforce the strict interpretation of the Constitution with the Louisiana Purchase. Yet, his desire for western expansion caused Jefferson to adopt the loose interpretation of the
"Fact Sheet: Guns Save Lives." Gun Owners of America. N.p., 29 Sept. 2008. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
For an individual to be considered for deferred action, they must meet various requirements. Applicants must be under the age of 31, have entered the country prior to his or her sixtieth birthday, and have lived in the States for a minimum of five years (It's an immigration winner). In addition, individuals must be enrolled in school or have a certificate of completion from high school, as well as be free of any felony charges (It's an immigration winner). Individuals who served in the U.S. military can also apply for consideration (It's an immigration winner). Applicants must submit documents to demonstrate that they meet the required guidelines. These documents include, but are not limited to: birth certificates, passports, school records, medical records and employment records (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). As of today, 638,054 individuals have applied for deferred action; of those applican...
“U.S. Gun Facts, Figures, and the Law.” Gun Policy. Gun Policy. 2. Jun. 2014. Web. 6 June 2015.
Multiple Gods and Goddesses is what causes Hinduism to be known as a “polytheistic religion” (Naik par. 1). Furthermore, “some Hindus believe in the existence of three gods, some believe
Gun Control has become a very important and controversial issue in america today. Many citizens of this great country are beginning to question if guns are as useful or if they’re just cold metal death makers. Gun Control: The Great Cop-out by Jared Michaud and Gun Control and the Constitution by David B. Rivkin Jr. and Andrew M. Grossman professionally carry across their anti-gun control ideals; whereas The Second Amendment is all for Gun Control by Adam Winkler and Making Gun Control Happen by Patrick Radden Keefe display the pro-gun control side. In my views, guns are a very necessary tool that if used correctly can be a valuable source of self defence and protection when help is too far away, or unwilling to come. Rather than put more restrictions on guns and gun owners, we should be able to freely protect ourselves and our fellow man.
What would cause an individual to behave in this rather heinous and macabre manner? Using Robert Pickton as a case study, this paper will explore the phenomenon of serial murder and apply research literature to help explain his behaviour and examine issues such as psychopathy, mental disorder, and substance abuse relevant to the Pickton case. In addition, the paper will explore the sexually sadistic nature of Pickton’s murders. Finally, the paper will explore the reasoning behind Pickton’s selection of drug addicted prostitutes as victims that enabled him to conduct his murders in relative anonymity. ...
The Economist states in an editorial that when people can get guns more easily there are more deaths which are caused by guns. There is a research result in 1996 about murders with guns. According to this research, there were two murders in New Zealand, fifteen in Japan, 30 in United Kingdom, 106 in Canada, 211 in Germany. On the other hand, in the USA, there were 9,390 gun related murders (America, 1998). This is a plain fact. Though there is a difference in population between each countries, it seems that there are too many gun related murders in the USA. Firearms-related incidents are taking place even in countries that it is illegal to possess guns. Therefore, it is needless to say that more gun related incidents would be occurring if the government permits gun ownership.
Clark and Cornish (2004), postulate that most criminological theories tend to be deterministic and ignore the process that offenders use in deciding whether or not to commit a crime. They argue that this approach is flawed because an offender’s perception and “conscious thought process” gives his actions purpose, justification, and helps him select, attend to, or process information. Additionally, Clark and Cornish (2004) state that in 1960s, sociological approaches of the ‘Chicago School’ began to “stress the importance of developing an understanding the offender’s perspective.” Similarly, mainstream criminology began to subscribe to this concept due to “the apparent failure in the rehabilitative ideal,” which shifted attention and assets
Greenfield, D. (2007). Introduction to forensic psychology. issues and controversies in crime and justice. Journal of Psychiatry & Law, 35(2), 201-201-204,105-106.
Understanding Psychology and Crime: Perspectives on Theory and Action, New York. PENNINGTON, D. (2002), Introducing Psychology: Approaches, Topics and Methods, London, Hodder Arnold. TANNENBAUN, B, (2007),Profs link criminal behaviour to genetics [online], Available at: http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2007/11/profs_link_criminal_behavior_to_genetics [accessed 16th October 2011].
I now know that criminology prefer to highlight the correlations between crimes’ social climates and criminals’ psychological states of mind. While some argues that criminal behavior is a result of individuals’ association with criminal peers, other claims that crime is a reflection of an individual’s genetic disadvantages. I have come to learn that there are no universally agreed formulas on decoding crimes and criminal behaviors. What we have, however, is a manual full of academic opinions and subjective views that have emerged alongside of the development of criminology. At the same time, the volume of conflicting perspectives that I have stumble upon in studying criminology reminded me again that the success of our current assessment models has yet to be determined. Thus, the study of criminology is an appropriate practice that will further prepare me to conduct meaningful research on legal studies and to provide accurate and in-depth findings in the near