The Minds Of Serial Killers

Jeffrey Dahmer was a notorious serial killer in the late 70’s throughout the early 90’s. What made him stand out from most serial killer’s was what he did to the bodies of his victims. During this research paper, I will cover his childhood life, what led to his lifestyle of killing and cannibalism and also the crimes that were committed during his murderous acts. I will also compare what theories relate to Jeffrey Dohmer and what could possibly be the reason why he did what he did.

Nevertheless, while many would agree to these reasons, others might say otherwise. Jennifer Jenkins, in her article, “On Punishment and Teen Killers”, she refers to a time when her youngest sister and her husband were murdered by a juvenile criminal. In the article, she says that before her sister was killed, “She begged for the life of her unborn child as he shot her. Jennifer also says in the article that the murderer “...just wanted to see what it would feel like to shoot someone.” Of course, given this story, it can be argued that the murderer, “...was a serial killer in the making”, as Jennifer says. In addition to this, it can also be said that children with strong signs of conduct disorder, a juvenile form of A.S.P.D., or Anti-Social

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

For centuries, the world has been plagued with murderous criminals who find joy in the sick torture and killing of people they claim as victims. These offenders are often psychotic and sociopathic, feeling no guilt during or after the murder of their victims. As the years have progressed, studies have shown more clear information that may lead to determining why a person would choose to kill, why they would choose the specific victim that they do, and if their psychological problems relate back to their childhood. Many theories claim that the upbringing of the child may cause their psychological problems, while other theories state that it is a work of mother nature.

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

The phrase ‘serial killer’ might as well be a synonym for evil. Even the mention of names like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy can induce chills down one’s back. People like these two show no remorse for planning out and executing multiple murders for reasons as simple as personal satisfaction. However, an unseen force other than Evil works on the minds of people like Jeffrey Dahmer: Mental Illness. The brain holds immense potential, but it’s dark side

Serial killers have always fascinated society because no one knows how they come to be. People tend to think that being a psychopath is the same as being a serial killer. The acts committed by serial killers are too heinous and horrifying for a normal person to understand. Which is where one of the theories of how serial killers came to be came from. Nature vs. Nurture has been a topic of debate when it comes to serial killers for centuries. The debate is about whether genetics or environment factors determine the behavior and personality of a person. Just like hair color is determined by genetics, Those who argue genetics are the main factor in behaviour believe that genetic determines a person’s ability to take life without guilt or remorse. Those who are the believers of nurture side disagrees by stating that environmental factors like family, faith, and society regulate one’s capability to take life without remorse. Society needs to refrain from thinking that serial killers are born because they are made through psychological trauma caused by abuse at an early age or brain damage.

For many years, psychologists have studied the difference between nature versus nurture and why people have the personality traits that they do. A common study on this topic is usually on identical twins. This is because these twins have the exact same DNA. Within these studies, the scientists learn that traits come from both heritable characteristics and from their environment. In 2000, a professor at the University of Wisconsin preformed a study on the brain scans of five hundred people, in which half of the people were considered prone to violence. The study found that the brain images of those who had been convicted of a murder with aggressive or antisocial disorders showed distinct brain activity compared to those who were considered normal (Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture, n.d.). In cases with serial killers or with people related to violence, the studies tend to show that their personality and desire to kill come from mainly there DNA and nature, rather than their past. The Unabomber contradicts these stereotypes of a serial killer through the influence of his past and his motives for his bombs.

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,

A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people, this type of crime turns into highly covered stories by the media. The manner in which newspapers cover aspects of the crime have similarities and differences. More specifically, the three articles that will be discuss explore three serial killers and the manner in which they conducted their crimes, these are “17 Killed, and a Life is Searched for Clues” by James Barron from The New York Times, “Unintended result: Gacy probe clears 11 unrelated cold cases” by Sharon Cohen from The Chicago Tribune, and “Worst serial killer in history, who fed prostitutes to pigs, sparks rage by publishing book” by Michael E. Miller from The Washington Post.

Serial killers, we have all heard of them and most of us are petrified of them. They commit horrendous crimes that many people cannot even begin to wrap their head around. Unfortunately, for those of us who are afraid of them it is likely we have encountered at least one if not multiple in our lifetime. That last sentence really puts the “be nice to everyone” quote into perspective, doesn’t it? It is not known how many serial killers are actually walking around among us however most studies conducted reviled we may not want the answer. Chances are the number is higher than we would have thought and definitely higher than we had hoped. Although I highly doubt we will ever get an actual number. It is not likely that a survey will be given to see how many serial killers are actually walking free. Even if this hypothetical survey was given I do not think an actual serial killer is going to put a checkmark in the are you a serial killer box. Although if they did mark the box they would save a lot of lives. Answering yes to such a question would land them in a psych ward. We may not know how to identify a serial killer simply by looking them up and down but we do have theories that help predict why they choose to commit unspeakable crimes. One of these theories that will be discussed is the biosocial theory. Throughout the report, the biosocial theory of crime will be thoroughly explained and applied to this topic to better understand serial killers. Anyone who has some time to

Every time we turn on the television or the radio we hear about something tragic happening. Some news we ignore then we hear about things such as the Sandy hook shooting or a man on a killing spree. The first thing that comes to our mind is “How can anyone do this to those innocent people?” A lot of factors come into play when understanding how someone can kill innocent people such as their childhood, their psychological state, and their traits. It all starts with your childhood: what you learn, how you’re treated, and what you feel.

Murder is a disturbing crime that shocks people when it occurs, however it’s more disturbing to think that a child is capable of such a violent and atrocious act. It is often very hard to imagine that a young child can be the source of such extreme violence and act in such an extreme manner. We as adults may not always be able to understand why they commit delinquent acts, or exhibit extremely violent and even commit a heinous crime such as murder. Psychological theories are able to give us some understanding of why these things happen and understanding what drives a juvenile to engage in criminal behavior may be able to ultimately help prevent further delinquency or delinquent behavior taken into account the various factors that are involved.

Serial killers are the byproduct of many different things: trauma, death of loved ones, abuse, neglect, adoption, and even witnessing abuse (Are Serial). Serial killers have had to endure a massive amount of something such as trauma or abuse to an unimaginable extent to become what they are; the extent of the abuse, the trauma, the psychological damage they endure is incomprehensible to many. The destruction of one’s innocence can occur at any given time in his or her life, but he or she is more impressionable in his or her youth by the negativism of someone else’s actions (Scott, Shirley L. What Makes Serial Killers Tick ~ Childhood Event). People are susceptible to what they endure in their adolescence, and cruel upbringings, such as

Many things today confuse, yet enthrall the masses. War, murder, medical science, incredible rescues, all things you would see on The History Channel. There is another topic that is also made into documentaries however, serial killers. Dark twisted people that commit multiple murders are of interest to the population, but what caused them to be this way. What horrible tragic set of events could twist a man to murder one or many people. Could Schizophrenia, psychopathy, or sociopathy? Many people have researched this topic and believe that childhood trauma, heavy drugs during the growing phase of life, as well as many other things have twisted the minds of men such as Jeffery Dahmer, Charles Manson,