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Serial Killer Research Paper

Decent Essays

Carly Schwenger
CP English 9
Mrs. Tavella
March 5, 2018

Revealing the Homicidal Tendencies of Serial Killers:
The Reasons Behind Them.

Childhood has a major effect on someone’s personality. If someone wasn’t raised correctly, their adult lives may be a wreck. Same goes for someone with mental illnesses. Serial killers aren't any different. Some were raised with wonderful childhoods but suffered from mental illnesses. Others grew up with traumatic childhoods but did not suffer from mental illnesses. Abuse (sexual, physical, or mental) or head injuries that might have cause brain damage have the effect to create a serial killer. Some illnesses like schizophrenia, personality disorders, and or psychopathy can affect serial killers’ thinking. …show more content…

A schizophrenic experiences bizarre delusions or hallucinations, have a disordered thought process, or a split mind. Having a split mind is experiencing part of reality and a split of reality. Gein and Chase had schizophrenia. The Co-Ed Killer (Edmund Kemper) and the Son of Sam(David Berkowitz) had a diversion of schizophrenia, paranoid schizophrenia. Personality disorders are where responses to stress are inflexible and maladaptive. Personality disorders are classified into three different types, type A, type B, and type C. Type A’s are paranoid, schizophrenic, or schizotypal. These type of people usually have patterns of distrust and prefer to be alone. They also have psychotic episodes. The only serial killer, that was ever recorded, that classifies as type A’s is the Zodiac Killer. He was never caught but he wrote letters to the police to taunt them and in one of his letter, he revealed that he was a type …show more content…

They appear to be overly emotional. Some have recurring suicide threats and attempts; Others self harm. Type B’s normally experience panic attacks and have phobias. Aileen Wuornos, Ted Bundy, and John Wayne Gacy were all categorized as type B’s. Type C’s are avoidant, dependant, and normally have obsessive, compulsive disorder. They are typically perfectionists, preoccupied with little details and making lists. Type C’s are rigidity and stubborn. Type C’s normally have outbursts of rage. Joanna Dennehy was classified as a type C as well as a type B. Psychopathy is a disorder characterized by deceitfulness, manipulation, grandiosity, lack of empathy or guilt and often aggressive or violent behavior. Ted Bundy and the Zodiac Killer were both diagnosed with

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