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Social Construction of a Serial Killer

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Social Construction of a Serial Killer
Final Essay

Final Essay: Social Construction of a Serial Killer

By: Kristin D. Cole

Professor A. Major

Deviance and Violence

The social construction of a serial killer can consist of many different behaviors, thoughts, and actions that play out over time. A serial killer in my opinion is one who acts out on his or her impulses. Impulses that are usually made up of fantasies that the individual cannot separate from reality. Most serial killers come from abusive homes and experience traumatic events throughout their lives. I believe that due to these events and abuse serial killers can detach their self emotionally from not only their victims but from what society deems normal. “A large number of serial killings are motivated by sexual urges, and with female serial killers, a large number of the killings are motivated by financial gain” (Hickey 1997, p. 27).

There are many different theories and thoughts they may help to explain serial killers and there murders more in depth. For instance the social structure theory, a theory that focuses on individual’s socioeconomic standing. This theory explains that poor people commit crimes to try to further their financial gain along with their economic standing. I think that this theory explains a lot of criminal acts that occur. I do not think that this theory pertains to every serial killer since it has been shown that most serial killers are not motivated by financial gain. I do however think that it explains quite a bit about our female serial killers. Since a large majority of female serial killers are motivated by financial gain this theory falls right in place.

One female serial killer that comes to mind is the “Black Widow” or Lydia True blood. Lydia was from Pocatello, Idaho and at the age of nineteen met and married land owner Robert C. Dooley. The couple shortly after being married welcomed a baby girl named Lorraine. Everything seemed well until the death of baby Lorraine, soon


References: 1) Eric W. Hickey (2009) Serial Murderers and Their Victims Published By: Cengage Learning 2) P. Jenkins (1994) Using Murder: The Social Construction of Serial Homicide Published By: New York: Aldine de Gruyter 3) Hickey, Eric (1997) Serial Murderers and Their Victims, 2nd edition. Belmont, CA: Published By: Wadsworth Read more: Serial Killers - world, body, life, history, rate, time, person, Characteristics of Serial Murder, Characteristics of the Serial Killer http://www.deathreference.com/Py-Se/Serial-Killers.html#ixzz0d8Thiofd 4) Levin, Jack, and James A. Fox. "Serial Murder." In Deadlines: Essays in Murder and Mayhem. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2001. 1)
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