1 / 8

Serial Killers

Serial Killers. Higgins O’Brien Spring 2012. Serial Killers. Serial Killers are part of popular culture, but real statistics are limited It is difficult to estimate victim numbers, as many murders go unsolved, and serial killers have been known to lie and exaggerate

larue
Download Presentation

Serial Killers

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Serial Killers Higgins O’Brien Spring 2012

  2. Serial Killers • Serial Killers are part of popular culture, but real statistics are limited • It is difficult to estimate victim numbers, as many murders go unsolved, and serial killers have been known to lie and exaggerate • The surge of serial killing in recent years may just be the result of increased reporting, and improved detection

  3. A Profile of Serial Killers • Motives • Most popular is a quest to satisfy urges, a need for excessive control • Could be a need for attention, sympathy • Could be involved in cult activities • A common misconception is that a serial killer is a “crazed monster”, when in fact many are traditional and charming • Many have above average intelligence • As killings continue, they tend to become more disorganized

  4. Serial Killer Characteristics • 93.3% are male • 64.8% are white • 73.6% are between the ages of 20-39 • However, women too have been shown to be cruel, sadistic, and sexually driven in serial killing

  5. Serial Killer Victims • Unlike traditional homicide, victims tend to be strangers to the offender • Tend to be vulnerable (children, prostitutes, and the elderly) • 81% white, 67% female • Sexual assault common, regardless of the gender of the victim

  6. The Murdering Mind • Mental illness can be a cause, but many serial killers falsely use this as a defense in court • Psychologically, they would be considered sociopaths (antisocial personality type) • Lack of conscience, inability to feel empathy for others, pathological lying, impulsivity, concerned only with own pleasure • Some have feelings of inadequacy, others a god complex

  7. Murdering Mind continued • Many killers proud of their conquests, and scour the media for reports of their crimes • Collect souvenirs from their victims to relive the moment (clothing, pictures, bones) • Many have “paraphilias”, a sexual attraction to an unusual or bizarre object • Despite the troubled lives many serial killers go through, they rarely kill themselves. Suffering appears to be externalized, not internalized.

  8. Childhood Origins • Some believe there are genetic or biological explanations • Some believe trauma during early development • Difficulties in bonding • Abuse or neglect • One of the largest indicators of future violence was childhood cruelty to animals • Many killers have a severe injury to the limbic region of the brain, possibly from trauma

More Related