Abstract
What are underling factors that contribute to the psychological profile of men and women serial killers? This paper examines scientific and meta-analysis studies of men and women serial killers in an attempt to identify some of these factors. By investigating psychological theories involving men and women serial killer's mental stability and violence motives, the findings from this paper suggest that more research needs to be done in order to address these societal issues and possibly prevent future violence by serial killers. Keywords: men serial killers, women serial killers, psychological studies, attachment theory Inside Thy Mind: A Psychological Study Of the Minds of Men and Women Serial Killers What are the underling factors that contribute to the psychological profile of men and women serial killers? One may hypothesize that serial killing is triggered by insanity, mental illness, or psychopathy. However, serial killing has been defined by killing at least three or more individuals in a given time (Bartels, 2009). At the same time one might assume that a serial killer is a predator that hunts for human prey. Another hypothesis might be that enacting on their fantasies may perhaps drive them to violence and then they kill and kill again. Nonetheless, the victim is determined by one thing; the mind of the serial killer. Serial killing has been explained as mystifying, bewildering and it is repeatedly hard to grasp and understand why one is able to kill another human being. We often see these perpetrators participate in lunacy or just plain insanity, however, many are not insane nor do they suffer from mental illness (Knight, 2006). Still the axiology of serial murders are still considered ambiguous to