Minds of Mass Murders

The words “mass murderers” are two simple words that describe and categorize an enormous group of people. Mass murderers are a danger to society and it is vital to understand the diversity of these people. These criminals come in two types that branch off into several subtypes. The profile of a mass murderer contains a specific set of traits. These people are driven by a wide array of motives. To achieve their goals, mass murderers utilize several different methods to fulfill their intentions. The controversy of punishment inevitably arises when the subject of mass murderers arise. The study of mass murderers is a study that requires breaking down the numerous building blocks that make up a mass murderer, from their motives to their methods.

Mass murderers are a diverse group of people. They are a danger to society and it is important to understand the wide variability among these people. The kinds of mass murderers revolve around two central types that branch off to several subtypes. The profile of a mass murderer generally contains a specific set of traits. These people are often driven by one of a series of different motives. In order to achieve their goals, mass murderers have plenty of different methods and weapons at their disposal. Inevitably, the discussion of punishment always ensues when the subject of dangerously destructive killers arises. The study of mass murderers is one that requires analyzing and profiling all of the components that make up a killer, from

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

History is full of tales of famous criminals, with the most brutal committing mass murder, both political and domestic. However, what is now called 'serial ' killing is something different. While there are those who hurt people or murder for profit or motive, serials killers murder for neither; their murders are rage based and usually filled with no remorse. The most entertaining and engrossing stories are usually the ones portrayed on television shows and movies. Though sadly they are entertainment for some, they are reality for others. The person or people committing these murders have a deeper mental issue, usually one that would be diagnosed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) as a Personality

One motivation that quickly becomes apparent within a serial killer is that of psychopathy. Psychopathic traits include narcissism, irresponsibility, lack of empathy, promiscuity, poor behavior, lying, and impulsivity (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). Because they lack the ability to care or feel anyone else’s pain, it is easy for the perpetrator to disregard them and perform whatever acts they wish upon them. A psychopathic person also feels a low sense of self-worth, which can be elevated by inflicting harm on another person (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). Taking out their rage and anger on the other person also can be a way in which a psychopath can correct any

A subject that is popular among television, movies, and books, is serial murder. Our society has romanticized murder, while scientists are trying to understand it. Infamous serial murderers studied in this paper are Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and John Wayne Gacy. Each of these murderers displayed characteristics of a psychopath from a young age. Some scientists are approaching this with neuroimaging technology; others are taking a serial killer’s past and drawing connections. Within each killer listed above, there was some form of trauma found in their early life. Dahmer experienced abandonment and had an extreme antisocial disorder. He ended up admitting to murdering 17 men. He raped them, dismembered them, and stored parts of their body in

A question that continuously circulates within society is what causes a serial killer’s desire to kill and act in a completely inhumane way. Researchers have been analyzing and comparing brain scans of murderers and violent offenders to average people for decades, trying to find differences in brain activity. Many have argued that a serial killer’s behavior is predetermined by a chemical imbalance in the brain; their brain activity and functions are not the same as the rest of society.

Findings in this article are designed to ask questions and gain a better understanding of what a serial killers mind is like, why serial killers are so popular in American pop culture and, the basic fascination and interest in serial killer cases and, review basic facts and ideas of how we can stop or try to limit cases of serial killer violence and crime, through studies and research. Covering a range of historical, medical and, scientific views in a wide variety of cases and findings, the goal is to expand on the ideas and theories of what causes people to become serial killers.

Through my research and reading of The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, Sick of living/unwilling to die (presumably the Zodiac Killer), The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy, and Incident by Amiri Baraka, I have come to the conclusion that serial killers are motivated to kill due to a combined influence of the way they were raised alongside their nature/the basic character that they were born with. Traumatic childhood experiences or even abuse can influence people who already have the impulse to harm others to go forth with their desires, but both aspects of nature and nurture often must be present to form the foundation of a serial killer.

The mind of a killer works in mysterious, yet intriguing manners; hence, there is still a lot to be learned about the factors that contribute to the making of a serial killer. The purpose of this study is to articulate that serial killers are not born, but rather made due to several uncontrollable factors. The motive in their adult life comes from repressed anger and uncommon personality traits which lead to criminal deviance. The research was conducted by referring to several articles published in scholarly journals regarding the mental and physical characteristics of a serial killer. Childhood atmosphere, sociological, and biological elements were found to be associated with the construction of a serial murderer.

The fifth type of sadistic lust-type serial killer is the predatory sadistic killer. This type of killer is attracted to the hunt and the kill. They view killing as a sport or recreational activity. The goal in their hunting and killing of humans is not to restore peace to their minds and self but to simply murder continually without internal prohibitions to prevent it (Simon, 2000). There are commonalities in the history and personality characteristics that link the different types of sadistic serial killers.

If you go and ask murderers “How did you come to be a violent person?”, without fail, every single one of them will respond with a horrific tale of trauma in his childhood. If you look into the life of any violent man or woman, you are likely to see a horrific past created by moments of terror and suffering. Not every traumatic event will create a killer, but most killers are created from some sort of trauma. Psychologists break down what makes a murder into two categories, nature and nurture. The nature argument tells suggest that we all possess the ability to kill because we evolved that way. The nurture argument says the environment that we are raised in shapes our personalities. This paper will prove that murderers are created, not born.

Many crimes committed are due to impulse and ulterior motives, and because of this, most murderers have connections to their victims; serial killers however do not follow this trend. Various assumptions have been made into why serial killers may be the way they are. Some have said stated that the biological make up of serial killers are the cause, others say environment such as abuse and family are to blame. Are serial killers biologically programmed to murder or are they a product of their environment? I intend to explore both sides of this argument in hopes of coming to a conclusion on the old age question, is it nature or nurture?

The question of what made a normal person into a serial killer is a debatable topic for decades in psychology. The author analyses many case studies of a serial killer and came up with the diathesis-stress model. He said the combination of biological and environmental is the essential part of what made of the serial killer. Most serial killers are average people, doesn’t stand out, that is why they were able to get away with their kill for so long. They often involve themselves in cannibalism, pedophilia, and necrophilia.

Murder is such an extreme and taboo crime that even what influences adult killers can remain a mystery. Trying to figure out what drives a child to kill is even more difficult. It is extremely hard not to be terrified yet at the same time fascinated by stories of these young murderers. Digging into this issue brings up some very interesting questions. Is it nature or nurture that guides them to kill? Are some people simply born with brains that are wired to be violent, or does their unique environment and personal upbringing in turn make a person become violent? Could it be possible that these individuals are in fact socialized into violence? Like many of society's troubling matters, the explanation of such a thing is debatable at best. Let’s also not forget about another important influence in a child’s life- the mass media. With the increasing popularity of violence in movies, on television, in video games, and in popular songs, this has become an epidemic. Heightened by such easy availability of weapons and drugs, violence among children has become a public health issue of rapid concern.