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Essays on the psychology of serial killers
Essays on the psychology of serial killers
Essays on the psychology of serial killers
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However, in order to act out their fantasy, serial killers tend to either murder those who would not be missed: prostitutes, runaways, and street dwellers, or high-life professionals; the type of victim more or less weighs on the motive of the killing. “Serial killers are believed responsible for a staggeringly large percentage of the nation’s 5,000 annual unsolved slayings” (Costa 54). Because these persons are viewed as disposable to killers and will not be missed, the large percentage is not as shocking as it could be. To pick a more risky victim, such as a beloved community member or a person of great standing increases the chances of becoming caught; however, some killers feel victims of stature give more meaning behind their crime. More …show more content…
(Vronsky 92). Growing up, Gacy was subjected to abuse from his drunken father who would discipline the Gacy children with a razor strap; because showing emotion during the beatings fueled the father’s rage, Gacy learned to control his emotions and not cry. However, alienation did not stop only at the home front; he was not allowed to play outside with the other children in his grade because he was suffering from congestive heart failure. It was then later discovered that Gacy was attracted to …show more content…
Instead of interacting, Bundy would peer at other through windows and thieved often. However, with the hard work in his academics, Bundy was accepted into the University of Washington in pursuit of a law degree (430).While in college, Bundy fell in love with another student, a young, dark haired girl; she had money, class, and public influence, which meant everything to Bundy. Bundy was devastated from the heart-wrenching breakup that followed the
John Wayne Gacy in his early years was shown to have a minor biological impairment. At the age of 11, Gacy was playing near a swing set and was hit in the head causing an accidental blood clot in the brain. The blood clot was not discovered until he was 16 years old and he suffered from blackouts from the clot from the ages of 11 until it was discovered. There was a brain blockage that medications were able to dissolve. Gacy also had a series of health problems that kept him hospitalized for a significant amount of his childhood. His health issues included a heart condition, an erupted appendix, and numerous blackouts and seizures. After Gacy was executed, there were many autopsies that were done on his brain to see if there were neurological impairments. After doing numerous biopsies, there was not a trace of evidence to conclude that John Wayne Gacy suffered from neurological issues.
John Wayne Gacy was first brought up on charges of “deviate sex acts” in 1968 (Stevens, p.237, 2004). Gacy served eighteen months for this offense and was soon free to begin his killing spree. After his release from prison, Gacy began luring boys and young men to his home then killing and sexually assaulting them. A few the boys were employees of Gacy at his construction business and others were boys he lured with the promise of employment. Gacy would trick the boys claiming he was showing them a magic trick, since he often worked as Pogo the clown, and would handcuff them in his basement before killing and assaulting them. The police began surveilling Gacy, who acted as if their surveillance was a joke (Stevens, 2004). One officer, after accepting an invitation to Gacy’s home for dinner, smelled the “telltale odor of decomposition and rotting flesh while in the bathroom when the furnace fan turned on” (Stevens, p. 240, 2004). The officers investigated the smell by examining the crawl
Infamous serial killer, John Wayne Gacy, was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. Gacy, born into an abusive environment, was assaulted physically along with his siblings, with a razor strap if they were perceived to have misbehaved by their alcoholic father. In addition, Gacy’s mother was physically abused as well throughout her marriage and during the children’s upbringing. During John Wayne Gacy’s childhood education, he suffered further alienation due to a congenital heart condition that resulted in further feelings of contempt from his father. Furthermore, Gacy eventually came to the realization that he was attracted to men, which caused a great amount of mental turmoil over his sexuality.
A serial killer is defined in Webster's Dictionary as someone who murders more than three victims one at a time in a relatively short period of time. There is no one generic profile to identify a serial killer. They usually are people seeking for a sensation, a lack of guilt or remorse, a need for control, impulsivity, and predatory behavior. These traits make up a psychopathic personality disorder. Psychopathy is a disorder manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, manipulation, and occasional violence to control others, in order to satisfy their own wants and needs. There are four main types of serial killers; thrill seekers, mission-oriented, visionary serial killers, and power and control killers. There may be other
Serial murder, which is defined as “the unlawful killing of two or more victims, by the same offenders, in separate events”(Lubaszka & Shon, 2013, p. 1), is a term that American society has become quite familiar with. At a ripe age, parents begin teaching their children not to talk to strangers in hopes of shielding them from the potential evil our world has to offer, but what if I told you the serial killer may not always be the scary man driving a van and offering candy? Our society, like it does most things, has placed a stigma upon serial killers. Although not all implied labels are untrue, this stigma makes us vulnerable to the hidden deviance lurking behind us, dressed in sheep’s clothing. Over the course of this analysis, I will discuss and elaborate on Christine Lubaszka and Phillip Shon’s work, “The notion of victim selection, risk, and offender behavior in healthcare serial murders”. My evaluation will consists of a thorough description of Lubaszka and Shon’s article, followed by a brief critic explaining how their work relates to other forms of deviance, social control, and the material studied in this course, as well as stating a few of the drawbacks and benefits of the authors’ work and suggestions for future researchers.
Almost all people know who serial killers are, but what exactly defines a serial killer. The FBI defines serial murder as “a minimum of three to four victims with a ‘cooling off’ period between, the killer is usually a stranger to the victim, the murders reflect a need to sadistically dominate the victim, and the murder is rarely for profit.” (Vronsky, 2004, p.36) Serial killers are usually a white male from a lower-to-middle-class background typically in his twenties or thirties. Also, 85% of the world’s serial killers live in America, with at least twenty to fifty unidentified active serial killers plotting another one of their killings. On average, every person has seen or met at least 37 serial killers in their lifespan.
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.
Often, organized killers are associated with a meticulous attitude and a keen attention to detail, they are highly intelligent and well-rehearsed; furthermore, organized killers wait days (or longer) for an opportune time to kill their victims. Organized killers are able to be socially charming and “blend” in with society. Prime examples of organized serial killers are Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy. Infamously, Bundy would use his charismatic charm to persuade women into helping him while he faked an injury, he is also known for his academic success. Known well in the community and he was frequently active in volunteer work, Gacy was able to evade suspicion; additionally, organized serial killers are more likely able to avoid
The stereotype that exists for individuals who commit serial murder is one that mainly includes males of a specific race. However, it is now known that white males are not the only individuals who commit serial murder. Men and women from all racial and ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic statuses have been found to be serial murderers. Although this information has been presented to society, the cultural schema of the white male serial killer is still prevalent. The assumptions that involve serial murderers often include two aspects, the serial murderer is male and the serial murder is a type of “lust murder”, often involving sexual crimes by a sadist (Keeney and Heide, 1995). Keeney and Heide (1994) define serial murder to be the premeditated murder of three or more victims committed over time, in separate incidents, in a civilian context, with the murder being chosen by the offender.
Each of a serial killer’s killings temporary gratifies whatever provokes the killer’s actions, and each subsequent killing terminates a separate sequence of behaviors. They are all motivated to for different reasons; some kill to gain or exert power over the victims, entertainment or mission. Some kill because they believe they have the responsibility to they society to do so (Julietta Leung N.D.) Frequently, homosexuals, prostitutes, and the homeless are viewed by serial killers because they might believe they are devalued in society or they view as being beneath humanity. They believe those kind of p...
Learning about Gacy and his family I pick up some things in his life that would later be unfolded after he was arrested for the murders. One thing would be confusion in his sexuality as a child. He would rather help his mother with things such as gardening, dishes and other things that would appear not to be masculine in his father’s eyes. One of Gacy's childhood friends made a statement...
'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...
Serial killers are everywhere! Well, perhaps not in our neighborhood, but on our television screens, at the movie theaters, and in rows and rows of books at our local Borders or Barnes and Nobles Booksellers” (Brown). When people think of serial killers, names such as Dahmer, Gacy, Bundy, and Gein are cited. During the time Jack the Ripper was executing his victims in London, Holmes began his gruesome career in Chicago (America’s Serial Killers). “Despite being America’s first serial killer, Holmes is hardly a familiar name and until now we haven’t had any popular visual record of his crimes: (Spikol). Why is it that people only think of the more popular killers with higher known profiles? They are all very similar to one another because they share characteristics. H.H. Holmes was a successful serial killer because he was well educated, cunning and charming. Those are just a few traits Holmes ...
Organized killers often appear to many as socially normal. They typically plan their kills in advance, have some way of transportation, and carry a ‘murder kit’ with them which contains various tools necessary for their crimes. They also often cruise public spaces for victims which includes prostitutes, the homeless, teenagers, students walking on campuses, or active night spots such as bars and clubs. Additionally, their victims tend to fit a specific profile. The victims usually have the same hair color and are of the same race and ethnicity.
Introduction: On the spectrum of criminal activity, serial killers are rather rare. Rarer still is a serial killer like Ted Bundy. Bundy confessed to killing 28 women in the 1970s in ghastly fashion and some believe he may have killed far more. It is hard to imagine what could cause any person to cross the mental boundary into such macabre behavior as Bundy perpetrated. Nevertheless, it is important to try to understand that behavior because only though such an understanding would society be able to identify and deter mass murderers in order to save lives.