Serial Killers and Mass Murderers

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 murders are not just part of the United States they also happen globally. There are many investigative tools that are used when working a serial murder case and we will discuss some of those. We will also discuss the problems with the media when it comes to serial murders. We will also talk about how the criticism of the public and media can affect serial murder cases.

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,

Mass murder is defined by the FBI as the killing of three or more people in a single event or in the same day (Petersen & Farrington, 2007). Mass murderers are complex and can be examined by the many factors that regularly appear among them, such as violence precipitating events, weapon of choice, and mental illnesses. The motivations and methods for committing mass murder are easily broken down into specific groups, and through the examination of these definitions and specific cases there is much to learn about the mind of a mass murderer.

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

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 chances of being a victim of a mass shooting are a little less than your odds at being struck by lightning (Fund, 2012). If you take a look at our nation’s history you will see that the rate at which these killings take place are on the decline. This fact begs the question then what are the similarities with all these mass murderers? Is it the mental-health aspect of these murderers that link them all together? Is there a connection between the mass murderers that somehow will allow us to find these people before the acts? Finally, what is the reason that these mass murders are taking place? Are they doing it for fame, love, revenge or power? All of these questions have sparked several studies about these murderers in order to figure out

Throughout history, serial killers and murderers have received a significant number of news articles dedicated to them and have attracted audiences all around the world; however, the question that nobody can seem to answer is, “Why?” What causes people to grow up with the desire to kill and what can we do to prevent others from becoming serial killers in the future? “All serial killers are murderers, but not all murderers are serial killers,” as stated on The Undergraduate Times. A serial murder is defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as “the unlawful homicide of at least two people, carried out in a series over a period of time,” while mass murder is the

The stereotype that exists for individuals who commit serial murder is one that mainly includes males of a specific race. However, it is now known that white males are not the only individuals who commit serial murder. Men and women from all racial and ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic statuses have been found to be serial murderers. Although this information has been presented to society, the cultural schema of the white male serial killer is still prevalent. The assumptions that involve serial murderers often include two aspects, the serial murderer is male and the serial murder is a type of “lust murder”, often involving sexual crimes by a sadist (Keeney and Heide, 1995). Keeney and Heide (1994) define serial murder to be the

Violent and forceful acts causing death and destruction surely would not translate into reality or happiness for the masses. However, a growing few are adapting this reality as way to deal with their frustrations and forcing their victims to live it with them. Mass murderers are posing such a great danger to society. Facts presented throughout this research paper prove capital punishment as the only just punishment fitting for their crimes. To bring these perpetrators to justice, law enforcement, profilers and scientists categorize them. Four of these categories and their sub types, along with punishments for the criminals will be discussed. A type of mass murderer, the first variant, helps to explain what type of killer they are and what can

Many researchers in the field of criminology, psychology as well as sociology have interests in serial killers, why they kill, and the reason for criminal behavior in general. One aspect of serial murders that is particularly intriguing are those who kill in teams, specifically male and female teams. One case that many researchers in these fields analyze is the case of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. Birch (1994) looks into the details of male and female team killing and gives an overview of the popular case. Throughout this paper there will be a detailed overview of the Myra Hindley and Ian Brady case in relation to another case about Debra Brown and Alton Coleman, another serial killer team; as well as a in depth look at free will

Traditionally the behavior of serial killer has been viewed through a psychological framework blaming customary factors like bad parenting, maladjusted brain chemistry or past abuse. As those stated the making of serial killers could be how you were raised or it is in your genetics but there could be other ways such as the

The topic of serial killers was chosen for my research topic because of my interest in the psychological of why someone would murder another. This topic was then refined to researching 10 serial killers and identifying why they become serial killers, through a mind map that focused on the idea whether serial killers are born as killers or made into one. This therefore led to the overall research question for this project which is: “Do circumstances create a serial killer or are they born that way?” in order to answer this question the following five focus questions have been created. 1.

The following paper discusses the intricate differences between a mass murderer and a serial killer. The discussion of the mass murderer and the serial killer is backed up with three points in which significant differences are depicted, the intention, the experiences in the earlier stages of life and mass media. The three points will follow the ideals behind the murders and where that spark appear in a murderer’s life. The mass murderer will be depicted in the media and shown as being something influential, especially in the United States. The analysis of the three points will be backed up with two case studies done by Elliot Leyton in his novel, Hunting Humans. The two cases that will back up the thesis statement of intention,

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.