Serial Killers: Biology or Upbringing?
Nikole Walden
English IV
Mr. Russell
1 November 2010
Serial Killers: Biology or Upbringing?
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 that make them prone to becoming a killer. With some analysis, the evidence for both theories can serve to prove that serial killers are genetically different.
Serial killers have been named many different names over the years by experts. “In the 19th century, psychopathology was considered to be ‘moral insanity’” (Scott, par. 2). Moral insanity is when ones emotions are damaged, causing them to be carried away by furious instinct. That shows why experts would consider calling serial killers morally insane. “Current experts call serial killers a biological disaster” (Scott, par. 2). This means they are born into this world already marked as a disaster. A former psychologist says there are two types, “They are known as ‘Antisocial personality disorder’ or ‘Social pathology’” (Scott, par. 2). Antisocial personality disorder killers usually do not interact with people which can be their reason for becoming a killer. Social pathology killers are disorganized in the world which makes them uneasy and more tempted to becoming a serial killer. These names can simply describe every type of serial killer in the world.
The most serial killings have occurred in California. According to Michael Stone who has a Ph.D. in
English IV
Mr. Russell
1 November 2010
Serial Killers: Biology or Upbringing?
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 that make them prone to becoming a killer. With some analysis, the evidence for both theories can serve to prove that serial killers are genetically different.
Serial killers have been named many different names over the years by experts. “In the 19th century, psychopathology was considered to be ‘moral insanity’” (Scott, par. 2). Moral insanity is when ones emotions are damaged, causing them to be carried away by furious instinct. That shows why experts would consider calling serial killers morally insane. “Current experts call serial killers a biological disaster” (Scott, par. 2). This means they are born into this world already marked as a disaster. A former psychologist says there are two types, “They are known as ‘Antisocial personality disorder’ or ‘Social pathology’” (Scott, par. 2). Antisocial personality disorder killers usually do not interact with people which can be their reason for becoming a killer. Social pathology killers are disorganized in the world which makes them uneasy and more tempted to becoming a serial killer. These names can simply describe every type of serial killer in the world.
The most serial killings have occurred in California. According to Michael Stone who has a Ph.D. in
Cited: “A Look inside Serial Killers.” Crime. 21, Sept. 2010 <http://sictberty.com/crime/a-killer-brain- A-look-inside-serial-killers/#ixzz10BrgKLOU> “Brain Injury in Serial Killers.” 21, Sept. 2010 <hubpages.com/hub/brain-injury-in-serial- Killers> Raine, Adrian. “Functional families, Dysfunctional brains.” Science Daily. 21, Sept. 2010 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/04/980410101830.htm> Scott, Shirley, Lynn. “What makes serial killers tick?” Psychopaths? 21, Sept. 2010 <http:// www.truetv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/tick/psych_6.html> Stone, Michael. The ANATOMY of EVIL. New York: Prometheus Books, 2009.