Are Serial Killers Born Or Made Essay
Are Serial Killers Born or Made?
The term serial killer, as defined by Robert Ressler (1974), refers to a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic and predictable behaviour pattern.
Commonly used terms like sociopath and psychopath are no longer used in a clinical setting. Instead, these pathologies fall under a condition called anti-social personality disorder. A sociopath is traditionally defined as a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme, and often criminal, antisocial attitudes and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience (n/a. 1914). Anti-social personality disorder is a personality disorder in which people are callous, …show more content…
2010). There is no such thing as a killer gene but traits and genes can have an indirect effect on criminal behavior (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). A study by Caspi et al (2002) revealed a functional polymorphism in a gene linked to the X chromosome. The gene, MAOA, has a metabolizing effect on the brain’s natural regulation of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin which aid in the regulation of mood (Dunlap. 2010). The absence of these chemicals can cause a person to be more aggressive – if a child has this condition then they may find it difficult to get along with others and because of this the child would feel rejected and build resentment towards what is acceptable in society, leading to deviant behavior (Dunlap. 2010). If the parts of the brain that create aggressive behavior are stimulated or over-active, this causes the person to be overly aggressive to the point of violence and if the parts of the brain that regulate aggression are stimulated or over-active, the person shows more signs of non-aggressive behavior (Dunlap.
The term serial killer, as defined by Robert Ressler (1974), refers to a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic and predictable behaviour pattern.
Commonly used terms like sociopath and psychopath are no longer used in a clinical setting. Instead, these pathologies fall under a condition called anti-social personality disorder. A sociopath is traditionally defined as a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme, and often criminal, antisocial attitudes and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience (n/a. 1914). Anti-social personality disorder is a personality disorder in which people are callous, …show more content…
2010). There is no such thing as a killer gene but traits and genes can have an indirect effect on criminal behavior (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). A study by Caspi et al (2002) revealed a functional polymorphism in a gene linked to the X chromosome. The gene, MAOA, has a metabolizing effect on the brain’s natural regulation of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin which aid in the regulation of mood (Dunlap. 2010). The absence of these chemicals can cause a person to be more aggressive – if a child has this condition then they may find it difficult to get along with others and because of this the child would feel rejected and build resentment towards what is acceptable in society, leading to deviant behavior (Dunlap. 2010). If the parts of the brain that create aggressive behavior are stimulated or over-active, this causes the person to be overly aggressive to the point of violence and if the parts of the brain that regulate aggression are stimulated or over-active, the person shows more signs of non-aggressive behavior (Dunlap.