Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The psychology of serial killers
Introduction to crime prevention approaches
Essays on the psychology of serial killers
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The psychology of serial killers
What Causes Serial Killers to Kill? “75% of serial killers around the world come from the United States” (Rotella). Some people consider serial killers to be born a killer; however there are quite a few examples of events and reasons that cause people to turn to killing. The biggest examples are being abused as a child, mental or physical disabilities, and lust. Being abused as a child is not a direct connection to serial killers; however it damages the person at a very young age which can result to serial killing. Disabilities are very common in serial killers, unfortunately, this will never change, and the disorder causes them to be unable to control their behavior. Lust is most common in males, in which the root from where they desire to kill comes from the rejection or abandonment of someone they have feelings for, this anger builds up and the person has no idea how to deal with it. The media continues to really hide the threat that serial killers in America really are. If this continues, America will be a bigger and bigger target for killers all around the world. In view of this, early trauma as a child causes humans to grow up with a sense of anger in them. What defines a serial killer? “The definition of a serial killer is traditionally defined as a person who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time (a cooling off period) between the murders. The motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification” (Gerdes). Serial killers have specific traits to them that make them stick out from other mass murderers. Serial killers commonly have a meaning behind their killing. It is rare to see a serial killer killing just to kill. Most serial killers have a c... ... middle of paper ... ...nd no way right, but, most of the time the urge to kill for them roots from somewhere. If we focused on preventing those things, than the urge to kill would drop and lives would be saved. Works Cited Gerdes, Louise I. Serial Killers. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2000. Print. "Livingamongpredators."OverBlog.N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Rotella, Mark, et al. “Killing for Sport: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers.”Publishers Weekly 250.10 (2003): 68. ProQuest.Web. 1 Nov. 2013. "What Makes Serial Killers Tick?" — Monsters or Victims? — Crime Library on TruTV.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. "What Motivates Serial Killers To Kill | Twisted Minds - a Website about Serial Killers." Twisted Minds a Website about Serial Killers RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. “10 Most Common Traits of Potential Serial Killers." Listverse.N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.
As years go on so will the research on serial killers and hopefully we as a society will fully understand them and one day be able to cure whatever inside that makes them have the urge to kill. Works Cited The Electronic Journal of Sociology, published by the University of Guelph, Ontario. http://www.scribd.com/doc/167086215/How-Serial-Killers-Work. According to the article “10 Most Common Traits of Potential Serial Killers By Hestie Barnard Gerber. According to Comrade Chikatilo: The Psychopathology of Russia's Notorious Serial Killer.
Simon, Robert I. "Serial Killers, Evil, And Us." National Forum 80.4 (2000): 23. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
In a Google search of “serial killer memorabilia”, approximately 135,000 results would appear. While the U.S. produces over eighty-five percent of the world’s serial killers (“Why do Americans Idolize Serial Killers?” 11), Americans still tend to treat these murderers as icons and celebrities. As defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a serial killer is expressed as the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events. While it is no secret that serial killers have a different mindset than that of a normal person, do these murderers have genetically different minds? Although there is no exact answer as to what causes certain people to have the urge to kill, studies from the “Minnesota Study of Twins
The question of whether or not man is predetermined at birth to lead a life of crime is a question that has been debated for decades. Are serial killers born with the lust for murder, or are their desires developed through years of abuse and torment? Many believe it is impossible for an innocent child to be born with the capability to commit a horrible act such as murder. But at the same time, how could we have corrupted society so much as to turn an innocent child into a homicidal maniac? Forensic psychologists have picked apart the minds of serial killers to find an answer as to what forces them to commit such perverse acts. Their ultimate goal is to learn how to catch a serial killer before he commits his first crime.
Due to crime-inspired shows that air on television, fascination with serial killers presents itself more and more. People want to learn what makes a person break to the point of taking another’s life. Some suggest that killing releases a sexual desire, while others suggest that revenge may be the motive. A serial killer has the stereotypical look of a white male who tends to act socially awkward, not easily approachable, and possesses a mental illness. While the accuracy of this look tends to be true occasionally, the majority of the time a serial killer looks no different than anyone else and appears rather social. Some experts believe that a serial killer has codes in his DNA which causes him to kill; nonetheless, other experts believe environmental
Are serial killers a result of nature or a casualty of upbringing? Many psychologists and criminal analysts have delved into answering this question; unfortunately, there is not a clear answer on the exact origin. On the other hand, many specialists have various theories that could contribute to the creation of these individuals. These theories include biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Though there are many ideas on the cause, on thing is clear: most individuals do not lose their grasp on reality without warning and become a brutal serial killer overnight (Simons 351). These individuals are complex and mysterious to many. Through a combination of various factors, serial killers are created; they are not simply born with a hunger to kill.
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.
Almost every major social, biological, psychological, behavioural influence that has been seriously suggested as playing a role in causing crime has been thoroughly thought of as potentially contributing to the behavior of serial killers (Levin, 2008). The time period and amount of killings fluctuate depending on the individual committing the crime. Usually, the murders happen in different geographical areas. A mass murder has a separate definition than a serial killer, because a serial killer has a “cooling off” period, where mass murders kill several individuals in a single event. Each of a serial killer’s killings temporarily gratifies whatever provokes the killer’s actions, and each subsequent killing terminates a separate sequence of behaviors.
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.
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.
'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...
A serial killer's murdering spree is methodical and extremely well planned, and the motive usually is to get even (Douglas, p. 137). A serial killer often plans his crimes extremely carefully. He looks for a certain type...
There have been many serial killer cases that have attracted the attention of not only the media but of mental health experts as well. Many experts from a variety of different fields have come together to answer one question: Why did they do it? It is believed that most, if not all, serial killers have a mental illness, motives, and/or trauma during their lives that made them start killing. Serial killers are not only the effect of nurture but also nature. The environment of their country, the United States is our focus, can cause the number of serial killers to increase especially if the country itself is unstable.
Brogaard, Berit. "The Making of a Serial Killer." Psychology Today. Berit Brogaard, D.M.Sci., Ph.D in The Superhuman Mind, 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.