Serial Killers Essay Research Paper In the

Serial Killers Essay, Research Paper

In the past decade a creature known as the serial killer has captured the attention of America. About 70 % of the world s serial killers reside in the United States. Serial killers are the most sinister and malignant type of criminal. They account for one third of the murders in the United States. A serial killer is basically defined as someone who commits 3 to 4 murders, with a cooling off period in between, and the murders reflect a need to sadistically dominate the victim. Serial killers don t murder for profit, and the usually don t know there victim. Serial killers often choose victims who are vulnerable, for example prostitutes or runaways. Also their victims fit a certain stereotype. A serial killer will continuously kill and not stop unless he/she is made to stop. Or, unless an event occurs which stops the killer

Many serial killers have common personality and physical traits. In examining the killer s personality and physical traits we see that there are many similarities in these criminals, with the usual “there are exceptions to all rules.” Statistically, the average serial killer is a white male from a lower to middle class background, usually in his twenties or thirties. Extreme physical, emotional, or sexual abuse can be traced to most if not all known serial killers childhood. Some were adopted. There is also some correlation between behavior and aggression in serial killers. This means that as a child,

serial killers experience the same childhood difficulties. Nearly all serial killers have gone through one of the Terrible Triad . The Terrible Triad includes bedwetting, sadistic abuse of animals and pyromania. Many serial killers as children have been known to kill and abuse animals. The most popular choice of these animals is cats. They have been known to be thrown out of windows and sliced open, just to see how long they would live. Pyromania is another trait of young serial killers. They usually keep themselves occupied with this until boredom sets in and then move on to bigger and better things. Bedwetting is the last of the Terrible Triad . Sixty percent of all serial killers have wet the bed past the age of twelve. This causes great emotional pain. Brain injuries are common. Some are very intelligent and have shown great promise as successful professionals. They are also fascinated with the police and authority in general. They will either have attempted to become police themselves but were rejected, or worked as security guards, or had served in the military. Many, including John Gacy, the Hillside Stranglers, and Ted Bundy, will disguise themselves as law enforcement officials to gain access to their victims.

Serial killers exhibit a psychopathic personality, a hedonistic outlook on life and a pronounced lack of conscience. They are also called sociopath or are determined to have antisocial personalities. They do not suffer from mental illness but more likely a character flaw. They understand what is reality and know what they are doing is wrong and the difference between right and wrong. They simply just do not care. Psychopaths lack the vital component of the human personality that most others take for granted, conscience.

Either they have no conscience, or their conscience is too weak to inhibit the violence that they commit. Pure psychopaths kill without remorse. The minority among serial killers are the psychotics: They fail to perceive reality correctly; they tend to hear voices and see visions, or sometimes both. The murder is a symptom of their madness. David Berkowitz, the infamous Son of Sam, who ran amuck in New York City in the 70 s, is such a killer. Allegedly, his neighbor s dog told him repeatedly to kill.

Serial killers victims often fit a particular certain stereotype. Some victims remind the killer of someone who has cause pain in there lives in the past. Bundy

brutally murdered college-age women with long brown hair. Before his murders a women fitting this description broke off an engagement with him. Some victims just fit a particular type, for instance some killers like slim tall males, some have types very broad types, like all women. The victims are normally weaker than the killer. They must be able to dominate their victim. Serial killers are sadists; they find pleasure in torturing and even revive them at the brink of death so they can torture them some more. Yet some killers don t have a type and they just kill at random.

There are four basic types of serial killers, the visionary motive type, the missionary-oriented motive type, the thrill oriented motive type, and the lust killers. The visionary motive types are considered the insane or psychotic. They often hear voices in their head telling them to commit murders (schizophrenia). The missionary oriented motive type displays no obsession to the outside world, but on the inside, this killer has a

need to rid the world of what he considers immoral or unworthy. This type of killer will select groups of individuals to kill off, for example prostitutes or homeless. The trill oriented motive types are in it for the fun. They just find pleasure in killing people. These killers are the most sadistic of all the types of killers. They often kill more then the other types because they get addicted to the rush of killing. The last type is the lust killer. These killers kill for th