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 these killers these urges to kill? How do they choose their victims and what are some of their characteristics? What motivates serial killers to keep killing? Do these killers get satisfaction from killing? These questions and many more are reasons why I eager to write my paper on 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? This paper will try to develop a better understanding of these driven killers, motives and possible causes on why they become serial killers. …show more content…
This is a key factor for serial killers because they have had certain behaviors and actions that have led them to their killing ways. Criminal behavior can be developed as said, “I simply mean that at any one moment in time our brains have developed in one particular way and that way controls the statistical likelihood of certain behaviors occurring under certain circumstances, in this case, serial killing” (Pemment). This shows that one moment in a person life can cause them to become a serial killer. It is likely that a moment that traumatizes a person slowly changes the person they …show more content…
Most serial killers have fear of rejection, and having power seems to be what a lot of serial killers want. Some serial killers try to find something to “make better”. This mean that they will target specific people, which is why they have an urge to kill because they are not good enough or are not perfect in a mind of a serial killer. Blakie explains that, “They often see a category of people, such as women or prostitutes, as “unclean”, and see their removal of those beings as improving the world” (Blakie). This quote shows that a reason a serial killer is killing is because they don’t see a certain group of people fit in their psychological, and mental world. This is a cause of their urge and satisfaction to kill. Serial killers can find it relieving when they kill someone whom they don’t think is fit to be
Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Mark Allen Smith, Richard Chase, Ted Bundy-the list goes on and on. These five men alone have been responsible for at least ninety deaths, and many suspect that their victims may total twice that number. They are serial killers, the most feared and hated of criminals. What deep, hidden secret makes them lust for blood? What can possibly motivate a person to kill over and over again with no guilt, no remorse, no hint of human compassion? What makes a serial killer?
“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?
The Serial Killers: A Study in the Psychology of Violence By: Colin Wilson and Donald Seaman What makes people kill other people? It is a question that has haunted humans for centuries. Authors Colin Wilson and Donald Seaman analyze this in their book The Serial Killers:
In order to understand how serial killers are affected by social changes, one must understand their psyche. A serial killer is "sexually motivated but the underlying reason is power" (Newton 197). The killer wants power over his victims. Serial killing, itself, is a "distinctly modern phenomenon, a product of relatively recent social and cultural conditions to which criminologists can provide fresh insight by accentuating the broad institutional frameworks, motivations, and opportunity structures within which serial killing occurs" (Haggerty and Ellerbrok 6). According to John E. Douglas, co-author of Mindhunters, the reason that murders committed by serial killers, at first blush, seem to be senseless crimes is because serial killers are often "motivated by a strong emotional feeling" (Dokterman), such as hate, vengeance, or regret. FBI agents have identified domination,
Many serial killers and mass murderers have been interviewed and tested to reveal why they killed and raped large groups of people. There are several factors as to why they perform such acts. My findings in this paper show that there is a logically explanation as to why they do what they do. In no way is killing or violence justified, but people have been through things we couldn’t imagine being put through. Many of these killers were put through harsh abuse physically, mentally, and emotionally which haunted them in their futures. This caused them to resolve their issues through inhumane ways. One who was put through sexual abuse became lust serial killers by wanting to rape the victims or sexually punish them. They want their
Even though the topic of serial killers has become increasingly popular, there are some that still believe in the traditional stereotype of a serial killer: sexually motivated to murder as many women as possible. However, they are much more complicated than that. Serial killers have been misconceived for centuries; moreover, they have been plastered with labels such as insane or animals. Thus, studies are being conducted and articles are being written to inform the public that there might, and is more to serial killers than what people are led to believe. There are exceedingly particular traits that separate serial killers from other murderers, and the complex ways their mind’s function goes far beyond society’s common misconceptions of who they are
What triggers a serial killer to kill? Is it just a fantasy, but let’s look a little deeper. Could it be child hood mistreatment or abuse, could it be neglect, feeling let down and feeling alone or maybe that someone just has an motive to kill. I truly believe that each and every killer has there reason.
What are underling factors that contribute to the psychological profile of men and women serial killers? This paper examines scientific and meta-analysis studies of men and women serial killers in an attempt to identify some of these factors. By investigating psychological theories involving men and women serial killer's mental stability and violence motives, the findings from this paper suggest that more research needs to be done in order to address these societal issues and possibly prevent future violence
They see these people as expandable and as a means to an end. They can be divided in two types of Hedonistic Serial Killers: killing for lust or for the thrill. The lust killer kills purely for sexual fulfillment. Their primary motive is sex, even after their victim is dead. They also get pleasure out of the murder. These murders are usually followed by cannibalism (eating the victim), necrophilia (sexual attraction to the corpse), or dismembering. They have a psychological need to be have absolute control and dominance over their victims, and the torture and ultimate death of their victim is an attempt to fulfill their need. They use weapons that require close contact with the victim (e.g. a knife or their hands) (Holmes & Holmes, 1998). Jeffrey Dahmer was a lust killer, after his victims were dead, he performed cannibalism, necrophilia and dismembering. The thrill killer kills purely for the pleasure he/she gets from killing. They usually take a long time to kill, they torture their victims before killing them. After their victims are dead, they lose interest. They believe that they will never be caught (Holmes & Holmes, 1998). Robert Hansen was a thrill killer, he took his victims to a secluded area where he would let them go and then hunt them
Because of their sexual urges and their desire to satisfy those urges, serial killers most of the time victimize individuals that they do not know. Grover Godwin, a serial killer profiler,
They usually hate their parents. Almost every serial killer is abused as a child, whether it is sexually, emotionally, physically, or psychologically. This abuse may come from a stranger or a family member, but many serial killers try to lie about this history of abuse. Most serial killers have records of early psychiatric problems and often spent time in institutions as children (i.e.: mental hospitals or psychological rehabilitation centers). They have an intense interest in voyeurism, fetishism, and sadomasochistic porn at a very early age, and they also have a very high rate of suicide attempts. Future serial killers share three other traits in their childhoods. More than sixty precent of serial killers wet their beds past the age of twelve. They also have a fascination with fire, which may be an early manifestation of their fondness for mass destruction. In addition, almost every serial killer starts his abuse and sadistic torture on animal victims (Fisher and Fisher, 2003).
The second key characteristic of most serial killers is an overwhelming need for control. Women and children are often targeted because they are seen as weak and easily dominated figures. Killers will tie their victims up with ropes or chains and watch them helplessly struggle to free themselves. They may also torture them and watch as their pleas for freedom fall upon deaf ears.
Serial killers don’t develop feelings which allows them to have no emotional connection with their victim which makes it easier to experiment on them. They simple don’t feel remorse for what they have done. (The Psychology of Serial Killers). Along with abnormalities in the brain theirs also abnormalities in their DNA. A chromosome abnormality was found in young teenage boys during puberty, this causes them to display homicidal tendencies.
Pakhomou (2004) defines a serial killer as a person who commits numerous homicides of different kinds in a repetitive manner and nature. On the other hand, Knight (2007) defines serial murder as the killing within a period of 30 days of three or more people. Such killings are committed by sadists and pervasive persons and they reflect displaced aggression, fantasies and destruction. This indicates clearly that, a serial killer doe’s not just carryout the act by being in a normal situation, but they act due to many eminent factors that lead them to carrying out the malicious act. These factors could be influenced by drugs and substance use, overwhelming sexual desire, carrying out revenge, or desire to acquire property.
However, another theory to try and explain the serial killers’ behaviors is biological factors. Some researchers believe violent behavior is linked to brain defects. When the temporal lobe, limbic brain and/or the hypothalamus are damaged it may be responsible for uncontrollable rage. As the limbic brain is responsible for emotions and motivation, when it’s injured an individual loses control over their emotions, such as fear and anger. Likewise, the hypothalamus is associated with the hormonal systems and emotions, too. Malnutrition or physical injury may damage it in childhood