Serial Killer Research Paper

Statistically, the average serial killer is a white male from a lower-to-middle-class background, usually in his twenties or thirties. Many were physically or emotionally abused by parents. Some were adopted. As children, fledgling serial killers often set fires, torture animals, and wet their beds (these red-flag behaviors are known as the “triad” of symptoms.) Brain injuries are common. Some are very intelligent and have shown great promise as successful professionals. They are also fascinated with the police and authority in general (Scott).

Serial murder is one of the most baffling crimes that occur in the U.S. and all over the world. Knight (2006) defines serial murder as the killing of three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a significant cooling-off period. The cooling off period may be weeks, months or even years long. Researchers have proposed various psychological, biological and sociological theories that offer a partial understanding of the nature of serial murder. Some propose that the basis for criminal behavior is a predisposition to violence as well as a mix between environment, personality traits and biological factors. Serial killers are predominantly male. Only 3 percent of serial murders are committed by women (U.S. News and World Report,

In our readings, we Define Visionary serial killers as someone who commits incomprehensible active serial fatal victimization. We described the crime scene as chaotic.

I don’t really know what to say to you. To be quite honest, I hate you. Everything you do is cruel. Do you find pleasure in destroying lives? You go after people the day they are born and constantly stay in the back of their mind. You rip people away from their families and everything they have ever known. It’s just not fair. But, I guess it is natural and without you there would be no room for new people on this earth.

Serial murder crime though rare, is not a a new phenomenon. This crime has been committed for centuries and will continue to be a crime that is committed throughout the world. It is unfortunate and scary that this is probably one of the most serious of crimes that cannot be prevented. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, serial murderers commit their crimes because they want to. Rehabilitation is not obtainable for serial killers due to their inability for remorse and empathy, or to see people as people and not objects(Knight 2006). This research paper will focus primarily on serial murder within the U.S. First and foremost, a legal definition provided by the U.S. Department of Justice will be presented to set forth the discussion of this research paper. As follows will be a detailed discussion explaining serial killer typologies with the use of examples of known serial killers in the U.S. Types of serial killers are: power oriented, mission oriented, visionary, and hedonistic, each typology will be clearly defined and explained. Some serial killers can have a mixture of each typology’s characteristic. Serial killers that will be discussed and used as examples to represent the content of this research paper will be, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Robert Berdella, Jeffery Dahmer, and lastly the most prolific serial killer in American history, Gary Ridgeway. Problems with studying serial killing, are that because of rarity and access. Most of what we think

According to FBI Special Agent Robert K. Ressler, more than 60 percent of serial killers went the bed beyond the age of 12. Many are involved in vicious activities. Frequently, serial murders come from dysfunctional families, where the father is almost absent and the mother is often passively domineering. (Julieta, p.2, N.D.) Families of serial killers will often have criminal, psychiatric or alcoholic histories. Family members often abused the serial killer as they were growing up, physically, emotionally or sexually.

The mind of a serial killer can be very interesting in being able to find out what makes them want to do what they do. Knowing if someone was abused as a child and if this makes them more likely to become a serial killer or not become a serial killer is something I was very curious to learn about. Something that happens in a person’s childhood can affect the way they act when they become adults. I found two sources talking about childhood abuse and serial killers. The first source was an internet article entitled “Serial Killer Motives” found on the website How Stuff Works and was written by Shanna Freeman. The second source I found was a video entitled “Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer” which is found off of the website Big Think. This

Murders and crime in the past decades left a negative impact throughout the city of New York. However, these such crimes were particularly bad in the borough of Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn, New York during the summers caused many kids and adults to hang out on their stoops and enjoy being refreshed by an open fire hydrant or as they say in Brooklyn the “pump”. During one of those hot summer days in Brooklyn the unthinkable happens. The news is reporting that a possible serial killer was on the loose killing young brunette women. The name of the possible serial killer was David Berkowitz who was dubbed the .44 caliber killer.

Serial Killer: (n) A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people, usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification; ex. Charles Albright. His childhood was quite unusual, being that he started out life as an orphan and was adopted by foster parents Delle and Fred Albright. It is said that his mother was extremely strict and overprotective, which caused him to have little to no friends. Charles was never a very social child. He did exceptionally well in school and was even able to skip two grades. He got his first gun at thirteen and proceeded to kill small animals with it as a taxidermist, or in other words, he kept the hollow corpses of the animals he hunted and stuffed them to be lifelike memorabilia. There is no

Studies show that traits of a serial killer can be seen in a person at a very young age. Most warning signs go unnoticed which is why the growth of the killer continues. A thing such as animal cruelty is one of many clues inside the growth of a serial killers mind “They often start out their careers by maiming, harming, and torturing small animals.” “In extreme cases, they have been known to spend hours inflicting a slow death on animals...this is a form of control that allows them the power to crave” (Kocsis,2008) . Many future serial killers also show a major interest in setting fires. Even though it is common for most young children to show a slight interest in fire, those with serial killing in their future are somewhat pyromaniacs.

There have been a number of studies which have focused on some of the most high profile and well known cases of serial murder, such as John Wayne Gacy and Ed Gein and have reported child abuse. In a study of 50 serial killers, researchers found about 70 percent experience some maltreatment and 50 percent go through psychological abuse growing up. Many psychologist agree that a psychopath’s chemical makeup and brain development along with negative childhood experiences can be the perfect mix to create a serial killer. The notorious female serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, experienced horridus childhood abuse, but her family also shows a history of mental illness.

Evaluating why childhood experiences creates different types of serial killers. Nurture and nature are two significant roles in childhood development. A child needs love, sympathy, attention and a healthy environment. Throughout the developmental stage in adolescence it is simple to understand how a future serial killers mind begins to develop. Serial killers are created by traumatizing conditions that lead to psychological impairment.

The idea of serial killers and the role they play in our lives has fascinated people since the cases of Jack the Ripper and H.H. Holmes, although serial murderers existed before them. The infamous and mysterious complexities of these cases have puzzled and terrified people for over a century. Perhaps due to the deviant and taboo nature of serial killings, people in our society and others have tried to attribute many reasons for why they occur. In this search for answers, one major scope has been widely left out of the research: the sociological imagination. It is through this method of understanding that I will attempt to explain the development of serial killers and apply theories that explain the frequency of serial killings in our society.

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.

The events of the past can hold a great influence on the actions and behaviors of the future. From being raised in a supportive and loving home, to one that is full of neglect and abuse, each event can potentially impact the future of an individual. In the case of serial killers, there has been some debate on whether the evil ones are made or born; does it happen because of a genetic factor, environmental factor, or is it simply they addicted to the feeling of slaughtering another individual’s life? Although, the most important key in finding the truth deals with the past and shapes the outcome of the future. Upon viewing in a psychological stance, there is no clear understanding of why one aspect that most serial killers share, namely