Serial Killers

THE DEVELOPMENTAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SERIAL KILLERS

People die every day. However, out of all of the deaths annually, the ones most publicized by the media are murders. Moreover, people murdered by serial killers take precedent over all other murders.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the developmental and psychological characteristics of serial killers. It will be assumed that serial killers are rational people, capable of distinguishing between reality and fantasy, and in control of themselves at all times. Another assumption by the author is that serial killers are not born, but created by the environment.

It will be shown that environment plays a key role in the development of serial killers. Also, the findings of this paper will allow ordinary adults to identify key characteristics of potential serial killers and to stop the development of such people before the process is unstoppable.

LITERATURE REVIEW

It is imperative that the reader understand two things about serial killers: that they are created by the environment and not born; and that environment is not the only factor in the creation of a serial killer. Another thing that must be understood is that the author is not condoning or sympathizing with the serial killer; the author is simply analyzing the developmental and psychological characteristics of the serial killer. The following authors are this author’s main sources of information for analysis later on in this paper.

This paper will examine the psychological, biological, and environmental aspects of the serial killer based on leading experts in this field of study. After this examination, the author will then further analyze the work in order to make the average person understand the serial killer from a multi-faceted perspective.

The first book that the author examined was Serial Killers: Death and Life in America’s Wound Culture by Mark Seltzer. Seltzer stated that serial killers have many psychological problems, personality disorders to be exact. According to Seltzer, serial killers are very narcissistic, obsessed with the idea of control and the depersonalization of their victims. Serial killers also have great difficulty distinguishing between reality and fantasy, and despite this, are very likely to blend into crowds. Another important fact that Seltzer pointed out was that serial killers follow a cycle of escalating violence starting in childhood, and gradually work their way to the murder of fellow human beings.

Another valuable resource in this field of study is the book The Psychopathology of Serial Murder: A Theory of Violence by Stephen J. Giannangelo. Giannangelo stated that serial killers display many types of personality disorders including the following: antisocial personality disorder, psychopathy, borderline personality disorder, narcissism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and outright insanity. Even though all of these disorders are present in serial killers, the killers themselves do not have each disorder; they merely display characteristics of each disorder.

Other factors that Giannangelo emphasized were environmental. Serial killers often come from dysfunctional homes, have low self-esteem because of the trouble at home, are unsure of their sexual orientation, have difficulty distinguishing between reality and fantasy, and most importantly progress from relatively non-violent crimes to more violent crimes as they age.

The third book that this author studied was Serial Murderers and their Victims by Eric W. Hickley. According to his research, serial killers are biologically different from the normal human. Some symptoms that present in serial killers are: neurotransmitter abnormalities and the XYY chromosome configuration. Based on the amount of focus on the XYY chromosome configuration, this is a significant genetic defect. Studies have shown that men with an extra Y chromosome tend to be more violent in nature and have psychological problems as well.

STATISTICS AND RESEARCH PLAN

Serial killer statistics:

1. The USA has 76% of the world’s serial killers.

2. 84% of the killers are Caucasian

3. 16% are black

4. Men make up at least 90% of the world wide total of serial killers

5. 65% of victims are female

6. 89% of the victims are white

7. 44% of all killers start in their twenties

8. 26% start in their teens

9. 24% start in their thirties

10. 86% are heterosexual

SCORE: 1 - 5
You can relax. More importantly, your family, friends and co-workers can relax. If possible, thank your parents every chance you get.

SCORES 6 - 10
Not to worry -- you're not a threat to society. Although a few quirks in your personality may present some challenges in life, those same idiosyncrasies may very well explain the reason your name continues to appear on "A" party lists.

SCORES 11 - 15
We're not going to label you borderline, but the Death Row staff would sleep better at night knowing the word "psychotherapy" is part of your vocabulary.

SCORES 16 - 20
Not to upset your day -- but we're concerned. It might just be sheer coincidence or simply one of life's naughty little pranks that has placed you in the same profile category as Ted Bundy, Albert DeSalvo and Jeffrey Dahlmer. Heck, what do we know? However, we do recommend that if you are currently employed by the U.S. Postal Service, it may be the perfect time to consider a career change?

DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SERIAL KILLERS

BEHAVIORS PREVALENT IN CHILDHOOD

BEHAVIOR	PERCENTAGE WITH BEHAVIOR
Daydreaming	82
Compulsive Masturbation	82
Isolation	71
Chronic Lying	71
Enuresis	68
Rebelliousness	67
Nightmares	67
Property Destruction	58
Pyromania	56
Stealing	56
Cruelty to other Children	54
Poor Body Image	52
Temper Tantrums	48
Sleep Problems	48
Authority Issues	38
Phobia	38
Runaways	36
Animal Cruelty	36
Accident Prone	29
Headaches (chronic)	29
Property Destruction	28
Eating Disorders	27
Self-Mutilation	19

PERSONALITY TRAITS

White males between 25 and 35 years old
High or low socioeconomic status
Average to high intelligence
Usually married with children and a career
History of sexual or physical abuse during childhood
Over half come from single-parent homes. In the cases where both parents were present, the father was usually the dominant and abusive parent.
Display all characteristics of antisocial personality: pyromania, animal cruelty, and bed-wetting (enuresis).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the research and statistics of serial killers, this author can conclude the following about the developmental characteristics of serial killers: serial killers are not born, they are made by the harsh environment that they grow up in. This author can conclude this because of the statistics. The statistics show that serial killers usually come from abusive homes, the abuse being physical, sexual, or emotional, have a very domineering parent, and resort to violence as a way of emotional release from the pain that they feel during childhood. This author can also conclude that serial killers blend into society well, having learned ways to repress feelings of pain and isolation that they feel. Some are even married with families. It is only when their emotions build to a breaking point do they kill.

In conclusion, serial killers are very complex people. Outwardly, they can seem as normal as any other human being, but beneath the surface, one finds a person that has been deeply hurt in the past. Killing another human being may be a way to show others just what the serial killer went through when they were growing up. Then again, maybe killing is just for spite; the killer wants the victim to learn what s/he went through growing up.

REFERENCES

Serial Killers Exposed. “Serial Killers Exposed”. Retrieved March 28, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://members.tripod.com/~SerialKillr/SerialKillersExposed/index.html

Ginnangelo, Stephen J. The Psychopathology of Serial Murder: A Theory of Violence. Westport, Conn.: Preager, 1996.

Hickey, Eric W. Serial Murderers and their Victims. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 2002.

Seltzer, Mark. Serial Killers: Death and Life in America’s Wound Culture. New York: Rutlege, 1998.

1. What is your gender?	Male	Female
2. Are you Caucasian?	Yes	No
3. Do you tend to enjoy yourself more when you're with others?	Yes	No
4. If you noticed a neighbor undressing through a crack in the window covering, would you instinctively look away and forget about it?	Yes	No
5. As a rule, do you usually sleep through the night?	Yes	No
6. Do you tend to catch yourself daydreaming occasionally while at work?	Yes	No
7. Do you think that your appearance is typically above-average?	Yes	No
8. Do you tend to fly off the handle more often that you wish you would?	Yes	No
9. Are you relieved that you have never suffered from periodic or chronic headaches?	Yes	No
10. Do you consider yourself accident prone?	Yes	No
11. Do you have at least one phobia you can't explain?	Yes	No
12. Is your IQ slightly above average?	Yes	No
13. Do you now or typically have a significant other in your life?	Yes	No
14. Do you have or have you ever had any eating problems?	Yes	No
15. Do you tend to tell little white lies to get yourself out of uncomfortable situations?	Yes	No
16. Have you ever started a fire in an unconventional place?	Yes	No
17. Have you ever stolen something and then justified it in your heart of hearts?	Yes	No
18. Were you successfully toilet trained at a conventional age?	Yes	No
19. Do you tend to be a bit rebellious?	Yes	No
20. Have you ever destroyed some of your possessions to satisfy anxiety or a grudge?	Yes	No