Studies have found a link between damage to the brain’s frontal lobe and changes in the amygdala in criminal serial killers.…
Central Ideas – What makes a person a serial killer? Ted Bundy proved that even a handsome and smart individual with everything going for him, can become a monster.…
Biology contributes to killers. 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 second idea is that serial killers are bred by circumstance which means they have certain genes also known as the negative gene that makes them prone to becoming a killer.…
Many researchers have studied the fascinating yet horrifying world of serial murderers. The discoveries made since the phrase "serial killers" was coined, have amazed society. Despite all the knowledge discovered related to this topic, much more still needs to be disclosed.…
There are many myths that describe, or stereotype a serial killer. You may have heard that serial killers are all dysfunctional loners or that all serial killers are white males. One might also hear that serial killers are only motivated by sex, they travel and operate interstate, they cannot stop killing, they are all insane or evil geniuses, and serial killers want to get caught. As easy as it might be to believe these stereotypes, and although some serial killers meet a few of the descriptions, they are not necessarily true. Through studying Dexter, Perfume, Silence of the Lambs, Frankenstein, Dead Until Dark, and the Walking Dead it can be determined that serial killers are all driven by their own unique motives, they have committed more than three murders, not limited to any specific demographic group, and are committed over a short period of time with a “cooling off” period. Aside from these characteristics it is undetermined why a serial has a desire to kill, they all have their own unique reason.…
Serial killers are driven by their own motivations and reasons. They kill to fulfill strong emotional needs such as anger, thrill, financial gain, and attention (U.S. Department of Justice, 2005). Richard Kuklinski’s anger, need for control, financial gain, and narcissism clearly prove he has the motivation of a serial killer. Most serial killers are psychopaths. Kuklinski’s antisocial and paranoid personality made him void of a conscience, void of a sense of remorse or guilt, impulsive and violent. He trusted no one and would never forgive anyone who did him wrong – all characteristics of common serial killers. Serial killers have multiple indicators during their early childhood. Kuklinski’s childhood had numerous factors that prove he was prone to the pathological behavior of serial killers. Richard Kuklinski is a serial killer. Becoming a hit man just allowed him to make a lucrative career out of being…
People become serial killers for a reason. The expression “Serial Killers” first presumably originated in 1970 by late FBI Agent Robert Ressler. Before this time society categorized them with Mass Murders. Agent Ressler was lecturing at a college when he heard someone describe the killing as having an unending ‘serial’ cycle. Going back to his childhood, he remembered the movie industry titled “Serial Adventures” which showed short films of Batman and other heroes. None of the shows that were played came to a gratifying close. It always left you wanting more. Ressler came to the conclusion that there should be two separate category’s for mass murders, a single killing of many people at one location, and serial homicide, multiple killings that…
Apparently, all serial killers are murderers, but not all murderers are serial killers according to an article titled "Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture." There are major differences between murderers and serial killers and according to this article,“ Serial killers are only driven by instinct and a desire to kill. Due to these sexual desires and the need to fulfill their arousing fantasies it often urges these individuals to murder those who are complete strangers. Therein lays the fundamental difference.” Now, the article discusses the fact that typically a serial killer’s profile is that of a white male between the ages of 20 and 30 who commonly target their victims within the area of their living space. Note that not all serial killers fit this profile and this is apparent through history, as women have been known to develop into serial killers as well. Psychotics and psychopaths can have personalities in common, such as dull emotions, but they tend to diverge regarding whether he/she can mentally stay within reality. Psychopaths are cunning and manipulative, but they do not experience hallucinations nor delusions. They do not hear the voices of strangers in their minds nor do they hold inaccurate theories about the world. However, no matter his/her sex, age, or race a serial killer is a serial killer. Thus, the question remains: Was it nature or what it nurture? Could it be both? It is evident that nurture takes the principal role in the creation of a serial killer. According to Gina, who wrote the article "Nurture Over Nature: Mental Illness and Traumatic Life Events," while nature does play a chief role in their creation and is accountable for a decent part of the process, it does not take it…
These factors are biological, i.e. high testosterone hormone level or using substances, pathologies such as Autism or Attention Deflect Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), film industry, social learning that become a criminal or be a serial killer can be learnt by observation and applying a reinforcement, developmental process and social environment like education level or availability of the crime. In my point of view, there is no only one important factor which plays in a role in regards to be a serial killer in light of the fact that these all factors depend on the each other. For example, both one person has a childhood problem and is impacted by one serial killers film e.g. he/she was isolated from their friends and as a consequence of that he/she feel alone and neglected. Following this, he watched one serial killers film who killed his/her friend because of the fact that they were ridiculed with the serial killer and he was both affected by the factors. In addition to this, serial killers come from our society so that all humans have a potential to become a serial killer. What is more, on the occasion of looking at these factors, serial killers not only are not insane people but also are not responsible for their actions. In my opinion, I believe that society, traumatic experience and biological factors result in being a serial killers. Therefore, they do not have their autonomy.…
Some killers often get drunk and end up killing (e.g. Jeffrey Dahmer). Another thing to note about serial killer’s home lives is abuse. If you look deep enough into a killers past you more often than not find that they were abused by their parents. Abuse can stay with a person forever and childhood can shape who we are as people. Abuse could also be a reason why killers lack empathy; because the killer feels they felt similar if not worse pain and took it. Lastly, killers have a form of brain damage. Adrien Raine, a criminology professor said “research found criminals with psychopathic tendencies often had a shrunken ventromedial cortex - the area of the brain that controls decision-making.” This would explain why they often continue their bad behaviors until caught and why they do it in the first…
One of the most famous questions of all time asks, “Why do serial killers, kill?” Everyone is different in their own way, so no one can really answer that question specifically. Dr. Helen Morrison, author of “My Life Among The Serial Killers” interviewed ten famous serial killers to try to answer this question. She found that almost all of them had similar characteristics besides killing. Unlike what most people believe, she surprisingly found that these characteristics did not include insanity, child abuse, or drug abuse. Instead she explains that their most common trait is that they have an emotional age of an infant. Other characteristics include fluent lying, the lacking ability to comprehend that they did anything wrong, and no memory of the murders however when they do remember they show no mercy.…
In researching about serial killers the topic of nature vs. nurture is the question of debate. It is still to be determined whether or not they are born with the urge already…
depression and violence. Serotonin is chemical in our brain that controls ones mood. When a person is…
A majority of serial killers commit their crimes because they want to. A person who commits homicide will most likely know the victim or have a close personal relationship with them.…
Serial murder is a psychological crime in many aspects. It is a planned, thought out action. The crimes themselves are often committed in order for the killer to gain a sense of power, control, and domination. There must be psychological desires and/or perceived needs that are otherwise lacking in his or her life.…