Criminal Justice Theories and Criminological Ideologies Essay Example
For many years, people have studied the patterns and lives of serial killers in the effort to establish how they're created. In the 1980's, the mythology of serial killers became to be known to the public through the F.B.I. and the media (Lecture, 9/8/2005). As a society, we often wonder if the idea behind serial killers is just a myth, or if in fact reality. The purpose of this argument is to analyze the "serial killer" myth in America and explain it through four imperative criminological theories.
Through our class lectures, we have learned that, "serial killers have set a particular image that is a myth." And also, "serial killers are outside strangers and we need to do everything within our power to stay away from them" (Lecture, 9/8/2005). As a society, we need to take into account that "serial killers provide the most graphic illustration of dangerous outsiders" (K&P, 91). This would lead us to the question of whether or not serial killers do in fact commit random murders. For example, could it be one who would wait in a park and kill a random person or do we actually know the murderer? Thus being someone who we associate with on a daily basis, such as the person we talk to each morning at the bus stop or gas station on our way to work. The myth of serial killers also states that "serial killers are peculiar individuals, they are out to get' everybody" (Lecture, 9/8/2005).
In past history, the media didn't focus their perceptions of information on serial murders. When they did shift their focus on serial killers, the rates of murders of serial killers became public around 1984 and 1985. Were the citizens of America concerned with this information? Were they afraid, or even know about such a thing as a "serial killer" or "serial murder"? In 1984, Life Magazine printed an article stating that "serial murder as an almost uniquely American problem" (K&P, 79). Were the American people not simply afraid, because of the fact that they didn't want to believe
Through our class lectures, we have learned that, "serial killers have set a particular image that is a myth." And also, "serial killers are outside strangers and we need to do everything within our power to stay away from them" (Lecture, 9/8/2005). As a society, we need to take into account that "serial killers provide the most graphic illustration of dangerous outsiders" (K&P, 91). This would lead us to the question of whether or not serial killers do in fact commit random murders. For example, could it be one who would wait in a park and kill a random person or do we actually know the murderer? Thus being someone who we associate with on a daily basis, such as the person we talk to each morning at the bus stop or gas station on our way to work. The myth of serial killers also states that "serial killers are peculiar individuals, they are out to get' everybody" (Lecture, 9/8/2005).
In past history, the media didn't focus their perceptions of information on serial murders. When they did shift their focus on serial killers, the rates of murders of serial killers became public around 1984 and 1985. Were the citizens of America concerned with this information? Were they afraid, or even know about such a thing as a "serial killer" or "serial murder"? In 1984, Life Magazine printed an article stating that "serial murder as an almost uniquely American problem" (K&P, 79). Were the American people not simply afraid, because of the fact that they didn't want to believe