Serial Killer Nature Vs Nurture

This essay aims to examine weather serial killers are born a certain way and their genetics define their psychotic tendencies or whether they're a product of a bad environment that they grew up. This essay looks at recent killings in the late 20th century as there is more information on the killers from this period and it's easier to gain details about their childhoods. Whilst I will look at various different killers to reach more rounded conclusions (see appendix for comparison table), this essay will focus on four in detail to examine the debate; Ted Bundy (1946-89), Jeffery Dahmer (1960-1994), John Wayne Gacy (1942-1994) and Gary Ridgway (1949-present).

What is a serial killer? Retired Special Agent Robert Ressler, a twenty-two year veteran of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit in Quantico, Virginia, is responsible for creating the term “serial killer.” He defines this person as “one who commits a series of murders, usually three or more, the victims most often being strangers, and usually with a cooling-off period in between each kill” (Kelleher & Kelleher, 1998; Pearson, 1998; Ressler and Shactman, 1997). This precise definition is necessary to distinguish this type of predator from the mass murderer (who kills many simultaneously), mercenaries, war criminals, or mafia hit men.

As one studies other viewing and readings such as Silence of the Lambs, Dexter, Perfume, Natural Born Killers, True Blood, Dead until Dark, and The Walking Dead it can be found that both nature and nurture take a part in creating a serial killer. Dexter Morgan is a serial killer that developed a want to kill as a child. Growing up with a foster family he had all the love, nurture, and support of a normal child, but he had a missing part of him with the mystery of his dead mother. Harry, his foster father had recognized Dexter’s need to kill early in life and was able to teach him how to kill properly. Harry was smart in understanding there was no way to contain or stop Dexter’s desire to kill, but he

While watching the news a report comes in that a serial killer has been brought down and arrested. Later, a group of news reporters come up and start  talking about how this serial killer got his infamous past, killing five people in gruesome ways. One of the news reporters stated that this man become a serial killer because he was mentally handicapped due to his genes when another reporter states that it was due to the abusive environment the serial killer was in during childhood. These two reporters got into such a huge argument that the channel had to go to a break to cool them down.  These two reporters believe that they are right and the other is wrong, but what if both of them were right at the same time. The Nature vs Nurture debate all started at 1869 by the man named Francis Galton, where he proclaim the question  was human action due to the environment or genes of a human being. This argument has always been black or white, that it could only be  Nurture or  Nature. While this was true during the time, further research has shown that it is not just one but both looking through all the evidence. Human action is affected both by the environment and genes because of epigenetics and  evolution.

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

A serial killer could be dining, sitting, or even living next to you at this very moment. Most killers offer little to no obvious clues that will lead anyone to detect their often secretive, undercover actions. I ask myself, “How can we be so naive to these types of people?” Serial killers amongst us are often well educated, portray an All-American image, yet have a psychotic side to them.

There are many theories as to why people become serial killers. Almost all of these concepts are associated with the Nature vs. Nurture theory. Are serial killers born with the need to kill, or is it something that they learn to long for as they grew up? Many believe that the nurture theory is the likely concept to believe; that serial killers are created from bad childhood experiences including being abused by their parents, or molested at an early age. Psychologist and sociologist have interviewed serial killers and picked apart their minds, to find out what it is that makes them feel the need to perform these heinous crimes. It is the nature theory that they are looking for when

The nurture part of the debate is how the person was raised. The national center for crisis posted article “Serial killers: nature vs. nurture. How serial killer are born” going into detail about the crimes that have happened and if it was connected to their past and if they were abused at a young age. The serial killer may have been beat when they were young and they learned from their parents.

Michael H. Stone in The Anatomy of Evil states that there are several factors that influence a serial killer’s behavior. The factors that may influence behavior are presented in a nature versus nurture model with occasional factors falling into a category of mixed and/or unknown origins (201). The factors that Stone considers to pertain to an individual’s natural environment include mental illness that is coupled with psychosis, schizophrenia, manic-depression, autism, and Aspergers Syndrome. Also included in the list of natural factors are mental illnesses without psychosis such as ADD and ADHD, alcoholism, epilepsy, and an inordinate sexual drive (201). Personality disorders are considered to be inherent to an individual and are therefore considered to be a part of an individual’s natural environment; personality disorders include being antisocial, psychopathic, schizoid, sadistic, paranoid, and/or impulsive-aggressive (201). Stone identifies nurture factors as parental physical/sexual/verbal abuse, parental abandonment and/or neglect, the loss of a parent, absence of a father, separation and/or divorce of the parental unit before the child is 16, and brain disease or damage (201). The factors that Stone considers to be attributed to mixed or unknown origins include paraphilia, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, alcoholism, conduct disorders that are committed in childhood, animal torture and arson,

Evidence that was gathered from books such as “Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers” and “Inside the Minds of Serial Killers,” both written by Kathertine Ramsland, provide information and evidence that killers are in fact made, not born. Some of the reasons that people believe that killers are made and not born are due to research by many psychiatrists on serial killers and mass murderers who are on death roe that have committed some of the most heinous crimes. One argument is that there is a set of factors that make people kill which are neurologic damage, abuse, and paranoid thinking (Pincus, Base Instincts). Another argument that follows the same guidelines was perceived from examining the many murders and serial killings in American

Serial killers, we have all heard of them and most of us are petrified of them. They commit horrendous crimes that many people cannot even begin to wrap their head around. Unfortunately, for those of us who are afraid of them it is likely we have encountered at least one if not multiple in our lifetime. That last sentence really puts the “be nice to everyone” quote into perspective, doesn’t it? It is not known how many serial killers are actually walking around among us however most studies conducted reviled we may not want the answer. Chances are the number is higher than we would have thought and definitely higher than we had hoped. Although I highly doubt we will ever get an actual number. It is not likely that a survey will be given to see how many serial killers are actually walking free. Even if this hypothetical survey was given I do not think an actual serial killer is going to put a checkmark in the are you a serial killer box. Although if they did mark the box they would save a lot of lives. Answering yes to such a question would land them in a psych ward. We may not know how to identify a serial killer simply by looking them up and down but we do have theories that help predict why they choose to commit unspeakable crimes. One of these theories that will be discussed is the biosocial theory. Throughout the report, the biosocial theory of crime will be thoroughly explained and applied to this topic to better understand serial killers. Anyone who has some time to

“Serial killers are human black holes; they scare us because they mirror us,” spoke Shirley Lynn Scott, known author and psychologist. This stands true throughout history, as most serial killers blend in with society. Serial killing is formally defined by the FBI as “a series of three or more killings, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor or actors.” But what exactly drives someone to kill another human being? What plays as a more drastic motivator for their actions, nature or nurture?

Serial killers are the byproduct of many different things: trauma, death of loved ones, abuse, neglect, adoption, and even witnessing abuse (Are Serial). Serial killers have had to endure a massive amount of something such as trauma or abuse to an unimaginable extent to become what they are; the extent of the abuse, the trauma, the psychological damage they endure is incomprehensible to many. The destruction of one’s innocence can occur at any given time in his or her life, but he or she is more impressionable in his or her youth by the negativism of someone else’s actions (Scott, Shirley L. What Makes Serial Killers Tick ~ Childhood Event). People are susceptible to what they endure in their adolescence, and cruel upbringings, such as

The things that can earn many people the title of being a criminal are natural responses to one’s environment. The environment tends to have an effect on the rate in which one does these things. Behaviors considered criminal in the USA, whether it be disrespecting authority, stealing, or even killing someone have a biological link. This proven by many studies have been done on the minds and overall biological make up of those imprisoned for committing crimes. So, the ability to commit a crime is it more influenced by nature or nurture? To answer that we must first acknowledge what nature and nurture are, and that what are considered crimes vary based on location and even in one location may change with the times (i.e. at one point, in America

Nature vs. Nurture is a well-known debate across a wide range of subjects, but can mostly be applied to Criminology and Psychology. There is a belief that criminal behaviour is either pre-determined through genes or socialisation and upbringing. Through studying Criminology, I hope to view crime in its broadest form, analysing all social aspects which is thought to cause delinquent behaviour. From a young age, I have always wanted to contribute to prevent crime.