Shaice Coulter
G. Butler
English 101
Research Paper
12/3/13
Mind of a Maniac: Looking for the Drive of a Serial Killer
The minds and the inner workings of a serial killer have been analyzed, investigated, and pondered upon for many years. “Questions such as what makes his or her mind tick? Does he or she target one fitting victim? What are his or her motives?” are some of the most common that spring to mind. We all hold the power of being aggressive, of encompassing unthinkable and destructive thoughts of “torture, sadism and murder”, but we do not all become serial murderers (Knight, 21). This deviant behavior is often feared because it displays a small but troubled percentage of people who immerse in the torture and death of other
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The past violence that the subject and his brother suffered through is a large factor in their need for violent satisfaction. The lack of emotional support and adoration can connect with the subject’s sexual gratification that he achieves through killing. Relentless abuse ongoing throughout childhood backed by neglect in school (often connatural with social mistreatment) can “create a violent, deviant personality” (Pakhomou, 220). Children are greatly impact with what surrounds them. The negativity and violence that are exposed to them will form lasting flashbulb memories that can shape not only their actions in the future but how they understand and perceive life. Violence plays a big part in developing the characteristics of a serial killer, but there are also other components that can lead to a distraught and homicidal person. In a research composed by James Beasley, he presents several different factors of development into becoming a serial killer through the case studies of seven offenders. Offender number three had multiple challenges that led him to become as aggressive and hostile as he was. As a child, his mother was completely absent and was an alcoholic. His stepfather, who physically and verbally abused him, lacked the comfort and attention any child would need. After learning that he would repeat the third grade, his behavior became hostile and he showed a lack of self-esteem. At the age of seven, the subject already began to show
“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 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
Do they have a violent predisposition with which they are born or are they influenced so much by their environment and upbringing, that they have been conditioned to feel and think differently of the ideals of morality and violence? Understanding the concept of “Nature vs. Nurture” is of utmost importance in further understanding the motivations and actions of history’s most notoriously violent and depraved serial killers. This is the concept that one of two circumstances is the driving factor behind the actions of a serial killer. Does a person’s nature, their DNA, their actual brain function, cause them to act upon their violent predisposed tendencies or is it their upbringing, parentage, and environment? One would come to the conclusion, upon researching known serial killer cases, that it is most likely a combination of both
was a study conducted in 2005 which psychiatrists hypothesized that there was a link between childhood abuse and the increasing population of serial killers. The study included fifty random people from the general population and fifty serial killers. Of the fifty serial killers included in the study, their key findings were that: 36% suffered from physical abuse, 26% suffered from sexual abuse, 50% suffered from psychological abuse, 18% from neglect and, 2% reported no abuse. The statistical finding was that those who suffered from abuse as children were nine times more likely to become killers in their adult life. People reminisce about their childhood on a daily basis, however, the thoughts that come to mind are not selective. The reminisce of a destructive childhood is able to contaminate the adult mind and the result can be heinous. It is human nature that the most painful memories are always that ones the tend to linger the longest and, spread the fastest. The human brain is not fully formed until the average age of twenty-five which makes is more susceptible to growing with execrable
The psychic of the young person is shaped by social interactions as well as the parental training. Often the young murderers were brought in pathological environments, they did not experience the parental love and acceptance, and they forced themselves to drown particular emotions so as not to appear weak. All these factors results in social dysfunctions that triggers violence and violence becomes the perfect self-defense mechanism, because it brings attention. According to the FBI’s list of traits that describe young murderers the most common syndromes are the feeling of isolation, the narcissist disorder, and depression6. A perfect example to support the above argument will be a background check of Jeff Weise, a young sixteen-year-old boy who killed 9 people and committed suicide in the Red Lake Senior High School in Minnesota in 2005. Weise’s family was the kind of pathological one, his parents were separated, his mother had a habit of drinking too much being an abusive alcoholic, what is more Weise himself was often bullied at school7.
Tommy entered the house, it was quiet, and he went to the kitchen to get a snack. Tommy dropped his plate causing a loud clattering noise, waking his mother. Tommy’s mom was furious, walked around the corner and started beating Tommy for waking her. As she was beating him a man came around the corner to stop her. It was Tommy’s dad. In a blind rage, Tommy’s mom grabbed the gun from the kitchen drawer; the one she used to threaten Tommy for all his wrong doings and shot Tommy’s father. Tommy’s experiences of regular, yet unpredictable beatings ending with a traumatic death experience forever changed Tommy’s life. After a traumatic experience, a chemical imbalance in the brain occurs; leaving this untreated can cause someone to become a serial killer. Traumatic life experiences, abuse, and an inability to have healthy coping strategies can lead to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Abuse, trauma, and poor coping skills combined can lead to the creation of a killer. Criminologists have identified several common life experiences that convicted serial killer have had in common. One identified experience shared by convicted serial killers is the witnessing a murder or death. Another is experiencing abuse from a young age. The kind of is not as significant a factor, but many serial killers reported higher incidences of sexual and emotional abuse. Abuse combined with a significant traumatic experience has been determined to cause a chemical imbalance in the brain. Another
Theories that focus on social and cultural aspects in the killer’s life are often used to define why they do what they do. This research looks at childhood traumas, relationships with the people in their lives, and how those could affect a child at any age. A statement by FBI agents R.R. Hazelwood and J.E. Douglas helps to confirm this theory, “Seldom does the lust murderer come from an environment of love and understanding. It is more likely that he was an abused and neglected child who experienced a great deal of conflict in his early life. ...” (Gerdes 90). Even though this is the case in most situations, there are always some exceptions.
As people in today's society, we are constantly being bombarded with the crazy actions that mankind is capable of. We watch the news and hear about murders, or even read a book about a mysterious killer. As we go through these pieces of reality, one can't help but be struck by the thought--what causes a person to act so violently? There have been many studies done to try and find an answer. For a crime such as serial killing, there are two thoughts. The first idea is that serial killing is caused by an abnormality in the frontal lobe of the brain. The other is that serial killers are bred by circumstance which means they have certain genes
Want to learn about serial killers? Read on to learn all about them and what motives them to kill others. Some of the topics included are facts, and theories on serial killers. Examples, and stories of real serial killers that were caught and put away for a long time.
Criminal psychologists have been examining into cases if serial killers are born or made. In most of these cases, many psychologists have considered multiple clues or indications that lead to why people become these ruthless murderers. What appeared to be a common factor is childhood abuse. Mostly the reason why childhood abuse has appeared to be a noticeable element to consider is because of how serial killers bring up that they have been abused as a child. Because of this, many claim that childhood abuse is to be a blaming aspect of the creation of these killers. Now, many have disagreed and will continue to disagree that there is no link between childhood abuse and serial killers. At first glance, it will not seem that there is a link, but
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,
Around the world, several new cases of serial homicides are reported every year. (Vronsky 15). Ninety-seven percent of serial murders are committed by psychopaths: someone who lacks a conscience, feels no remorse, cares exclusively for his own pleasures and cannot empathize with the suffering of his victims (Levin and Fox 4). The psychopathic state is not a mental illness but is a behavioral or personality disorder (Vronsky 245). When these behavioral components are combined with the desire to kill, an addiction is triggered and rarely broken. The psychology of a psychopathic serial killer produces specific character traits that cannot be altered therefore rehabilitation and imprisonment will be unsuccessful in treatment.
There are many traits that make a serial killer, with abuse during childhood playing a major factor. The four main aspects of abuse that seem to make killers are: emotional, psychological, sexual and physical abuse. The serial killer group has six times more reported physical abuse during childhood than the general population. Research has demonstrated that many serial killers have much in common when it comes to their childhood experiences Emotional abuse often diminishes a child’s self-esteem, making it hard for them to adapt to their surroundings, such as situations involving school or work. Due to this factor, most serial killers often find it hard to keep jobs and intimate relationships for longer than a very short period of time. Emotional neglect also impairs a child’s ability to develop empathy, therefore lacking compassion. If the child grows up to become a murderer, having no empathy means they are able to kill someone without
As we have already discussed, most serial killers have some common behavioral traits. They have factors that can be found in their childhoods, whether it be physical/mental abuse, or neglect. We need to save these people long before they are killers, we need to intervene when these children are victims. (Simons, 2001)
The main graph in the report shows the relationship between serial killers and behaviors they carried in their childhood. It is separated by these labelings: Predispositional Factors(PF), Social Environment (SE), Formative Events/Traumatizations (FE/T), Actions Toward Self/Others (ATS/O), Active Fantasy Life (AFL), and Facilitators (Fac.). The graph showed that the most common traits major serial killers have in the time before adolescence are problems with sexuality and chronic masturbation,