Ted Bundy Criminology Theory

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. Background: Ted Bundy was one of the most vicious serial killers in American history. He confessed to 28 grotesque murders in the 1970’s but the actual number of his victims remains …show more content…

Another criminology theory that may apply to help explain the criminal behavior of Ted Bundy is the Psychodynamic theory. This theory is largely based on the findings of Sigmund Freud. The underpinnings of this of the approach are that the unconscious mind affects behavior and emotion. The theory advances the argument that no behavior is without cause and that childhood experiences affect emotions and behavior as adults. Serial killers like Ted Bundy therefore are particularly affected by their unconscious mind. Bundy did not receive proper care as a young boy and the negative impact of his sense of rejection and isolation negatively impacted his adulthood with aggressive tendencies. In short, Bundy’s adult actions under this theory can be viewed as manifesting his anger over his childhood oppression in the form of brutal rapes and …show more content…

Another theory that could provide insight into understanding Bundy’s serial killer tendencies is called the Organized/Disorganized Theory. This theory hypothesizes that serial killers are either organized or disorganized offenders and a careful examination of a crime scene and available forensic evidence will indicate their personality and behavioral characteristics (Vronsky 2013). Ted Bundy would be classified as an organized defender under this theory because he had above average intelligence, was socially competent and lived what looked to be an average life. The crime scene of an organized offender suggests the killer planned his attack, bringing a weapon with him as well as taking it with him when he leaves. Bundy’s carefully planned out use of a sling on his arm to entrap his victim in his car or other confined space and his subsequent use of a weapon to bludgeon the confined victims fits the criminal profile of an organized serial