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The Creation of a Serial KillerDefining the Construction of a Serial Killer and or PsychopathKendra ZaleskiPortland State UniversitySociety in result, has consequently come to the misunderstanding of what serial murder is, and what type of people become serial killers. This is due to the huge influence of representations portrayed by the media, movies, television, and books. Thus, in recent discussions, the issue at hand has been determining what characteristics create a serial killer and/or psychopath. On the one hand, some researchers have advanced to the conclusion that genetics are what creates this “monster.” On the other hand, researchers argued that the environment a human is raised in, essentially an unstable one including physical and or sexual abuse, particularly known as victimization, is the main contribution factor to formulating the serial killer and or psychopath. However, the question begs, is it an individual’s genes or an individual’s environment that starts the conceptualization of a murderer. Not every serial killer and or psychopath is the same, they acquire different motives and personality traits making them all unique in an assortment of aspects which will be explored throughout this paper along with examining issues related to the definition and study of serial murder. To tell the truth, society is not completely at fault for misunderstanding serial murder. The definition of serial murder is exceptionally sketchy. Many researchers of serial killing tend to define the offender on terms much too narrow. On an important note, these definitions arose at the time the idea of 'serial murder' was first coined—during the 1980s. Therefore, not only are these definitions lacking application to a diversity of killers, but they are outdated as well (Eager, Doney, Ford, Hickey, Kiger, & Vetter, 1990). Former FBI Special agent Robert Ressler, who played a significant role in the psychological profiling of violent offenders in the 1970s, was first to coin the idea of serial murder (Ressler & Schatman, 1992). A few definitions discovered from other researchers such as, Osterburg and Ward, they claimed that, “psychopathic serial killers are, almost without exception, males who are driven by a sexual or aggressive drive to exert power and control by killing another living, breathing thing” (2004). Bartels and Parsons defined Serial murder as the separate killings of at least three people by an individual over a certain length of time (2004). The most recent definitions created pertaining to serial killers and murder, were both in the same year and are fairly different from each other. Osterburg and Wards definition is more of a psychological profiling factor, while Bartol’s definition is more factual and defines it as what it takes to be acknowledged as a serial killer.Before and after conducting research it is common fact that serial killers and psychopaths are some of the most interesting individuals on the planet. The way they think and their actions they do fascinates the public, hence the creation of some of the highest rated drama programs on broadcast TV in America. These all coincidently revolve around crime, such as NCIS, The Mentalist, CSI, Law and Order, and Criminal Minds. Crime dramas are simply front-runners in an overabundance of similar, formulaic programing (Donnelly, 2012). Formulaic programing, in other words means cliché. Donnelly continues to explain that America enjoys morally complex lead characters that challenge notions between right and wrong, thus breeding a fixation on vigilante justice in popular media. Movies like Daredevil (2003), The Brave One (2007), Hard Candy (2005), The Punisher (2004), Batman Begins (2005), and Four Brothers (2005) propose to challenge notions of justice and rightness. Even before movies became popular in this era, criminals would write books on their crimes. Since the 1970’s, North American legislatures have been concerned with criminals profiting from the notoriety of their crimes through writing and publishing books in which they recount their criminal activities (Colledge & Whyte, 2012). It can be concluded that criminals are receiving wrongful glorification by becoming famous for all the wrong reasons. For years now, people have become fixated on rationalizing violence that punishes wrong doing and redeems those who are.Are serial killers born or made? In context, are serial killers born with predetermined genes that play an integral part in creating their homicidal tendencies or do psycho-killers become murderous through their surroundings as children? For the past several decades, many law enforcement investigators and behavioral scientists have utilized a standard descriptive profile of serial killers, particularly those in the serial sexual homicide category to examine these theories (Miller, 2014). As previously stated, not every serial killer is identical, in fact there are different types of serial killers. One type is the Visionary Serial Killer. People in this category usually hear voices that instruct the killer to execute other human beings. These killers are usually psychotic or schizophrenic. David Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam, is an example of a visionary serial killer. A second type of serial killer is the Missionary Serial Killer. This type of killer often feels as if he or she has a responsibility or a special mission to rid the world of a certain specified group of people. A third type of serial killer is the Lust Killer. The lust killer is often driven to kill due to a sexual motivation. A fourth subgroup of serial killers is known as a Thrill Killer. A thrill killer takes lives because they enjoy the experience of killing. A fifth sort of serial killer is the Power Seeker Killer, a person who enjoys having total control over the fate of their victim. Finally, one of the last kinds of serial killers is the Gain Serial Killer. The gain killer is one who kills to gain money or items they believe to be valuable (Burgess, Douglas, & Ressler, 2004). All these specific categories of serial killers fall under the psychopathic spectrum, which is generally characterized as an acute or total lack of empathy and respect for others with a superficial presentation of normality (Cleckley, 1976). Therefore this classifies merely all serial killers as psychopaths. Serial killers such as Gary Ridgeway, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Ed Kemper can all be identified as psychopaths (Etiology of the Psychopathic Serial Killer, 2007).Researchers have put forth various sociological, biological, neurological and psychological theories that seem to offer a partial understanding of the nature of serial murder. In other words, these theories all contribute to the conceptualization of serial killers’ behaviors. Researchers seem to maintain a focus on certain aspects while also ignoring other important aspects. It is for this reason that there is a consensus that what makes a serial killer includes a combination of many complex and interrelated neurological, social, physiological, environmental and psychological factors. Some theorists Knight mentioned in late 1985-1993 have suggested the notion of a susceptibility to violence, while other theorists such as Aichorn and Eysenck emphasize the interplay between environment, biological factors and personality traits as the basis for their criminal behavior (Knight, 2007). It is clear that serial killers are much more complex and have more depth than what detectives, such as Ressler, have profiled them to be.Most serial killers and psychopaths are actually incredibly smart. Over 90% are white males with IQ’s in the normal to bright range. One killer in particular Ted Bundy, had an IQ of 124, signifying superior intelligence (Marie, n.d.). Many serial killers with this intelligence, unfortunately, do poorly in school and often have problems keeping a job. They tend to come from highly unstable or dysfunctional families, usually abandoned by their fathers and raised by controlling mothers. They usually hate their parents or feel misunderstood. Almost every serial killer is abused as a child in some way, whether it is sexually, emotionally, physically, or psychologically (Osterburg & Ward, 2004). To contradict this, Pallone and Hennessy argue that the upbringing and family life of a number of other serial killers could not be characterized as pathological in any major sense; these children grew up in relatively stable homes with both parents present and did not describe any abuse history (1996). Further proving Pallone and Hennessy’s claim, in a subsequent study of 61 convicted serial killers, Harbort and Mokros (2001) found that only three (5.2% of the sample) reported having been sexually abused as children. It can be confirmed that most serial killers were abused as children, but only a small handful were sexually abused. Nevertheless, this still supports that a human beings environment even at a young age vastly affects their mental stability and choices in older age.The real controversy among theorists lies on how and why serial killers take the step from fantasy to reality. Human beings are made up of tiny individual genes that make an individual unique. Many believe that murderers do not grow into the shell of a killer but have predetermined genes that make up the chemical balance of their brain, body, thoughts, ideas, and most importantly actions (The National Center for Crisis Management?). Genetics goes more than skin deep and affects the whole system, including the minds and its thoughts. Abel claimed that active stimuli in humans push them into action and that these active stimuli are "emanating within the organism and penetrating to the mind" (1989). Thus, many argue that looking at genes is the answer to understanding the mind of a serial killer and detecting defects in their early childhood is the only way to stop these murders. In all, serial killers and psychopaths are arguably complicated individuals. They are all motivated to kill in different ways, some kill for the pure pleasure of killing, some kill for power, some kill for a mission, some kill because they believe they are told to and some kill because they think they have a responsibility to. Whatever the reason, these individuals have destroyed many innocent lives. Both genes and environment modify each other so that a response of violence is unique to an individual. Generally speaking, the same stimulus will not cause the same response in every person. “The biggest lesson we have learned from brain research is that violence is the result of a developmental process, a lifelong interaction between the brain and the environment,” as quoted by Ramsland in 2006. Although serial killers and other psychopaths may have brain abnormalities or dysfunctions, personal experience and environment play a large role in the molding of a monster. REFERENCESAbel, D. (1989). Freud on Instinct and Morality. Retrieved from: , R., & Parsons, C. (2009). The Social Construction of a Serial Killer. Feminism & Psychology, 19(2), 267-280. doi:10.1177/0959353509102224Burgess A., Douglas J., & Ressler R. (2004). Serial Killer Characteristics. Colledge, J.V., & Whyte, J.D. (2012). Capturing Proceeds from Criminal Notoriety: A Case Study. Review Of Constitutional Studies, 17(2), 41-72.DONNELLY, A. M. (2012). The New American Hero: Dexter, Serial Killer for the Masses. Journal Of Popular Culture, 45(1), 15-26. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2011.00908.xEager, A., Doney, R., Ford, D., Hickey, E., Kiger, K., & Vetter, H. (1990). Serial Murder An Elusive Phenomenon.Etiology of the Psychopathic Serial Killer: An Analysis of Antisocial Personality Disorder, Psychopathy, and Serial Killer Personality and Crime Scene Characteristics. (2007). Brief Treatment & Crisis Intervention, 7(2), 151-160.Harbort, S. & Mokros, A. (2001). Serial murderers in Germany from 1945 to 1995: A descriptive study. Homicide Studies. pp. 311–334Hare, R. D. (1996). Psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder: A case of diagnostic confusion. Psychiatric Times, 132.Knight, Z. G. (2007). Sexually motivated serial killers and the psychology of aggression and "evil" within a contemporary psychoanalytical perspective. Journal Of Sexual Aggression, 13(1), 21-35. doi:10.1080/13552600701365597Marie, C. (n.d.). Retrieved from , L. (2014). Serial killers: II. Development, dynamics, and forensics. Aggression & Violent Behavior, 19(1), 12-22. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2013.11.003The National Center for Crisis Management?. (n.d.). Retrieved from , W. (2004). Retrieved from: , N., & Hennessy, J. (1996). Tinder-box criminal aggression: Neuropsychology, demography, phenomenology. Ramsland, K. (2006). The Unthinkable: Children Who Kill. Retrieved from: , R., & Schactman, T. (1992). Whoever fights monsters: My twenty years tracking serial killers for the FBI. ................
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