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The Slenderman Prophecy
When discussing the motivation that delves into an individual’s decision to commit a crime there are many different driving forces that make up the lengthy process of deciding to act on your idea. In regards to the violent crime of two young females stabbing their best friend to the brink of death, there are some theories that can help explain their thought process and actions. However, the issue with making gross generalizations in regards to the girls behavior is that each one had vastly different motivations and behaviors that led to their decision to actually go through with the crime. The context that must first be considered in order to fully understand their motivation behind this crime is the theories of
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Social learning theory is defined as: “The view that behavior is modeled through observation, either directly through intimate contact with others or indirectly through media” (Siegel, Welsh, 2014, Pg. 85). The attachment that Morgan has with her father is a crucial element to this theory when being put into practice in their case. Morgan shows that her actions are definitely based on the social learning theory because her father rewards her dark behaviors by posting them on his social media accounts stating, “Only Mogo draws Slenderman in crayon on a napkin when we are out to dinner.” (Miller, 2015). This fits in perfectly with the social learning model due to the fact that as a young woman who is seeking approval from her father she will do almost anything in order to gain his approval. Another way that she proves that theory does affect her life decisions is that when Anissa brought up Slenderman instead of going against her friend she decided to allow herself to be completely taken over by the idea and allowed it to take control of her whole life. Anissa however is the exact opposite of this Morgan’s case due to the fact that her parents were never around to either punish or reward behaviors in order to set the actions in motion. Therefore in essence she was stuck in a state of nonconformity due to the fact that she was neither rewarded or punished on her actions and
Social learning theory was first developed by Robert L. Burgess and Ronald L Akers in 1966 (Social Learning theory, 2016). In 1973, Akers wrote a book entitled Deviant Behaviour: A Social Learning Approach, which discussed Aker’s conception of the social learning theory. He developed social learning theory by extending Sutherland’s theory of differential association (Cochran & Sellers, 2017). Social learning theory is based on the principles of Pavlov’s operant and classical conditioning. Akers believes that crime is like any other social behavior because it is learned through social interaction (Social Learning theory, 2016). Social learning theory states that the probability of an individual committing a crime or engaging in criminal behaviour is increased when they differentially associate with others who commit criminal behavior (Cochran & Sellers, 2017). Social learning theory is classified as a general theory of crime, and has been used to explain many types of criminal behaviour (Social Learning theory, 2016). Furthermore, social learning theory is one of the most tested contemporary theories of crime. There are four fundamental components of social learning theory; differential association, definitions, differential reinforcement and imitation (Social Learning theory,
The present paper intent to enquire into a female serial killer. It shall describe and analyze the theories behind the occurrences and sequent offer explanations. The studies of criminology theories it is important to recognize why humans decide on living a life cycle of crime. Wikipedia.org defines serial killer as, “a person who murders three or more people, usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant break (a “cooling off period”) between them.” Precisely of this, humans who tend to be a serial killer are prone to developmental and physical characteristics. Several of these trends could fit into a model standard of a crime. A good example of analyzing the life and crimes of Aileen Wuornos, an American female serial killer who killed
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.
In the field of Criminology, our job is to attempt to explain and understand why some people commit crimes and others do not. Using the psychological, sociological, or psychiatric approach can help to conclude as to why an individual committed a crime can do this. However, in this paper, the psychological approach will be used to illustrate why Rie Fujii starved and killed her two kids in 2001. Psychological theories of crime focus on how mental processes impact individual’s propensities for violence. In further, the association between learning, intelligence, and personality and violence behavior is studied.
Although no one can be entirely sure what motivates teens to commit mass shootings, there are theories that must be examined to develop solutions. One theory states that there are ten factors that contribute to the likelihood of a teen committing murder. These factors include an unstable home life, being bullied at school, obsession with violent entertainment, being suicidal, involvement with drugs or alcohol, involvement with gangs or cults, and mental illness. Usually at least four of these qualities are present in homicidal teens (Khadaroo). While many of these causes stem from home lif...
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.
From his statement, can concluded that self-control is a pillar for arise of the serial killer. In Siegel’s (2011) view, self-control theory can defined asa firm moral sense that makes an individual to do not behave like hurting and break the norms of others. In shortly we can point out that they are basically does not care about others feelings and they just focus on their desires and way to achieve it. Financial profit and sexual desires are the examples of the desires. Most of the female serial killer attempted murder for the insurance benefits or other monetary gain upon the death of their victims. Harrison, Murphy, Ho, Bowers and Flaherty(2015) found that, 49.2% female serial killer has motive as financial profit through their research. The best example for this is
The social learning theory “states that behavior is learned from the environment through observational learning” (McLeod, 2011). For instance, I saw my mom getting ready for church and eventually I noticed that she put her hair in a ponytail only on Sundays. Furthermore, after seeing her do this so many times I began doing the same thing on Sundays. As a child, I observed her every move and I wanted to imitate her behavior. Through observational learning, I learned what was socially acceptable by watching my mother’s
Raine states: “ So, in the 1950s, little toddlers were playing outside, putting their fingers in dirt, putting their fingers in their mouths and absorbing the lead. Twenty years later, they became the next generation of violent criminal offenders because violence peaks at about 19 or 20. Then what happens is in the 1990s violence begins to come down, as it's been doing. What's partly explaining that? The reduction in lead in the environment (Raine, NPR).” This shows a biological connection to serial killer behavior. Temporal lobe or amygdala damage can show signs of psychopathy, which can lead to serial killer behavior (Kiehl, Bates, Laurens, Hare, & Liddle, 2006). Violent behavior has also been linked to deficiency in serotonin and high level of testosterone. Growing up in an unhealthy environment is also common in most serial killers. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, and mental abuse in a childhood home breeds serial killers. If someone grows up witnessing violence, it ingrains in their minds that violent behavior is okay. Before a serial killer commits a crime, they may be quiet, reserved, and keep to himself. In this stage, they are usually going on with their regular lifestyle. After a crime, they may taunt the media/police with notes and clues, as well as go on a killing spree. This is because some killers become obsessed with the urge to kill. Some may go as far as contacting the victim’s family. A fantasy is an elaborate
There is no one causal factor, or single identifying marker that determines violent behavior in individuals. While studies show characteristics associated with violent offenders, no single variable predetermines such offenses. It is instead a number of factors that come in to play, that have shown an association to such reactive aggressive behavior. Factors such as environmental demographic (Hughs, 2008) (Barnes, 2012), biological and genetic predispositions to mental illness (Miller & Barnes, 2013), prenatal brain development (Michalska & Kinzler, 2011), abuse, psychological factors, and many other variables that somehow coincide to create a recipe for such violent actions. Strides to determine these factors, and what sets the stage for such pathology is as important as it is controversial. The closer we get to arrive at possible causal factors, the closer we are to preventing such acts from happening, and providing help and better treatments for those with such disorders early on.
Examining why people commit crimes can be quite difficult because there can be a million reasons as to why a individual would want to commit an illegal act. Some people are forced to commit a crime with justified reasons, some people commit petty crime as a way of survival and some people commit crime for self-assurance purposes.
Through Social Learning Theory, an individual can be studied based on the behavior acquired by a role model. Verbal conditioning procedures and observation influences the response to an individual’s personality. Environment factors contribute to the Social Learning Theory. Antisocial model is a major contribute to crime, which influences negative characteristics. The Social Leaning Theory has three core social concepts the must be followed: observational learning, intrinsic reinforcement and modeling process.
The social learning theory extends this by taking into account that we may see other people being rewarded or punished, and adapt our own behaviour accordingly. However, social learning theory and behaviorism does not take into account that people have thoughts. It assumes that we have no free will over what we do and only respond according to what we have previously been exposed to. It also concerns itself solely with observable behaviors. Social learning theory can therefore be improved by attempting to explain where our thoughts come from, and how they affect our
There are various theories within the biological explanation as to why individuals commit criminal behaviour, these include: genetic theory, hereditary theory, psychosis and brain injury theory. In the next few paragraphs examples of each will be shown.
Behavior and social learning are two theories that are inherently intertwined. Behavior to some extent is taught for social reasons, and social learning can very much shape and create behaviors. While behavior is something intentionally taught, social learning can teach and reinforce many unintentional behaviors, such as dishonesty or aggression. In order to adequately discuss these two interrelated topics, theory exploration is in order.