{"id":2391,"date":"2022-03-13T21:33:45","date_gmt":"2022-03-13T21:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wickedness.net\/?page_id=2391"},"modified":"2022-03-20T13:09:29","modified_gmt":"2022-03-20T13:09:29","slug":"serial-killer-research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wickedness.net\/serial-killer-articles\/serial-killer-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Serial Killers Research: What Makes A Serial Killer, How To Spot One, And Much More"},"content":{"rendered":"
Let\u2019s kick things off by explaining what a serial killer represents.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, it\u2019s a person who kills 3 or more people with a \u201ccooling down\u201d period (a month or so) between the killings. The killings are often driven by pleasure or psychological thrill.<\/span><\/p>\n Serial killers lack guilt, empathy, and remorse. They\u2019re often egocentric people with specific traits which overlap with the characteristics of psychopaths. This is why people confuse killers with psychopaths and vice versa. However, not every psychopath is a serial killer. And vice versa.<\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, serial killers wear a \u201cmask of sanity\u201d which helps them blend into society as well as hide their psychopathic tendencies. Thus, they appear normal and even charming.<\/span><\/p>\n Serial Killer Research shows some traits that are common but perhaps the most disturbing thing is there is no predictable pattern. <\/p>\n Are serial killers born or made? This is one of the oldest questions in many different studies such as law, philosophy, theology, and of course, criminology.<\/span><\/p>\n According to studies<\/span><\/a>, they\u2019re a mix of both nature (genetics) and nurture (environmental factors). A book by Peter Vronsky, named \u201cSons of Chain: A History of Serial Killers from Stone Age to the Present\u201d, examines why some individuals become serial killers, and others don\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in learning about serial killers in-depth, definitely check that book. Vronsky examines how people\u2019s understanding of serial killers \u2013 named \u201cmonsters\u201d has evolved before modern psychology has appeared. He also answers the question: what makes a serial killer?<\/span><\/p>\n Studies have revealed that most serial killers have survived some type of childhood trauma like sexual or physical abuse, emotionally distant or absent parents, family dysfunction, etc. If you take a look at some of the serial killer cases, you will notice that trauma is a recurring theme.<\/span><\/p>\n And as a result of this childhood trauma, they suppress their emotional response instead of learning the right responses to trauma. Therefore, they never develop other emotions such as empathy, which is why they find it hard to empathize with others in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n However, not all kids who have experienced some type of trauma turn into killers when they grow up. In fact, some studies have discovered that specific genes can predispose individuals to violence. I also want to mention that most serial killers were separated from their mothers as children.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s also suspected that most serial killers fear relationships and crave control over others. They\u2019re often loners who decide to kill others to eliminate the chance of another humiliating rejection.<\/span><\/p>\n Some serial killers want the fame and attention that mass media can give killers. Another interesting fact about serial killers is that only 1 in every 5-6 serial killers is a female and female killers\u2019 psychopathology is different from male killers\u2019 psychopathology.<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, research on female serial killers is hard because there aren\u2019t so many female serial killers. Or perhaps they\u2019re better at hiding their crimes. What do you think? Drop a comment and let\u2019s keep the conversation going below!<\/span><\/p>\n People who have studied female killers say that they\u2019re less likely to leave any evidence behind including bodies. They\u2019re quiet killers with a longer \u201ckilling career\u201d and apparently, they\u2019re better at covering their tracks than men.<\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019re also less interested in torture and mutilation. However, just like male serial killers, they\u2019re driven by psychological thrill or the need for control over their victims, so they rarely kill for sexual gratification. They usually kill for control. However, they may apply it through sexual acts.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 4 main types of serial killers include thrill-seekers, visionary killers, mission-oriented, and power and control seekers. As you can clearly notice, they\u2019re all based on the type of crime they commit.<\/span><\/p>\n Since 1980, there have been over 220,000 unsolved murders in the US. And you can\u2019t help but wonder if serial killers are responsible for the majority of these murders. Since 1900, there have been about 3,000 identified serial killers in the US. And they\u2019ve collectively murdered approximately 10,000 people.<\/span><\/p>\n About 32% of serial killers killed people for lust, thrills, and power \u2013 they killed for enjoyment while 30% committed murders for financial gains. About 18% killed their victims in anger and 6.3% killed to boost a criminal enterprise. Lastly, little under 1% of killers committed killings under the pressure of a cult.<\/span><\/p>\n The favorite murder weapon for 42% of serial killers was a gun. Only 2% preferred axes while 6% utilized poison. About 52% of serial killers were white, 40% were black, and 6.7% were Hispanic. Moreover, men outnumbered women by a factor of 10, which means there are more male than female serial killers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Have you heard of<\/span> Samuel Little<\/span><\/a>? If not, you\u2019re lucky. He was a transient former boxer and criminal who passed away recently. He was serving time for only 2 murders but has confessed to over 93 killings.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m a fan of the true-crime community that covers unsolved crimes on YouTube. And I can\u2019t help but wonder how many of the unsolved murders and missing person cases were the work of serial killers like Samuel Little and will probably never be solved.<\/span><\/p>\n Sadly, you can\u2019t predict who will catch the eye of a killer. No one knows for sure what makes a killer pick a specific person as their victim, especially a serial killer. When asked about this, serial killers usually give different answers regarding their choice of victims and reasons for their crimes.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the most common belief is that serial killers want to feel full control over other people. Jeffrey Dahmer, for example, said that he was driven by the need for control over his victims in one of his many interviews. Experts say that most serial killers have a vision of their perfect victims.<\/span><\/p>\n And if you take a closer look at some of the cases of serial killers, you will notice that their victims share something in common like race, physical traits, gender, or something else. However, it\u2019s difficult to find people who meet all of their criteria, so they look for individuals with similar traits.<\/span><\/p>\n Although most serial killers feel a strong urge to kill, they\u2019re still very cautious individuals who won\u2019t pick a victim unless they\u2019re certain they will be able to lure in, overpower, and kill the person without getting caught. This is why their first victim is usually a homeless person. Or a sex worker.<\/span><\/p>\n Of course! Serial killers have been reported on 6 continents.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s widely believed that Western countries including the US tend to have more known serial killers than non-Western countries.<\/span><\/p>\n However, experts theorize that this is likely because of better law enforcement efforts and more media coverage, rather than a real increased prevalence of serial killers.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The general public together with law enforcement agencies and criminal psychologists have been trying to find out what makes serial killers commit their horrible crimes.<\/span><\/p>\n Most \u201cregular\u201d people could never torture and murder other human beings which is why people wonder if serial killers suffer from severe mental illness that affects their perception of reality.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, some serial killers did appear to experience psychotic breaks that triggered their killings. But most serial killers have rarely been found criminally insane, which is why the \u201cnon-guilty due to the reason of insanity\u201d defense rarely works for them. They can tell the difference between right and wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n They just don\u2019t care! In fact, the most common psychological features among serial killers include a lack of empathy. They\u2019re incapable of remorse and show no regard for social norms and laws.<\/span><\/p>\n Thus, most serial killers share antisocial behavior. They also have a strong desire to revenge themselves against society or individuals by committing unspeakable murders.<\/span><\/p>\n It depends on the serial killer. Some serial killers have shown symptoms of psychosis, while others have been diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n Most serial killers aren\u2019t considered mentally ill enough to be proved legally insane. Rather, the majority display signs of sociopathy or psychopathy.<\/span><\/p>\n Most serial killers show antisocial tendencies like lack of empathy and remorse, disregard for the rights of others and laws, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n Therefore, many of them meet the criteria for either psychopathy or sociopathy. Some serial killers have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, psychosis, or other personality disorders instead of psychopathy or in addition to psychopathy.<\/span><\/p>\n However, not every psychopath becomes a serial killer. On the contrary, they become a high-functioning member of society.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Makes A Serial Killer?<\/b><\/h2>\n
The 4 Main Types Of Serial Killers<\/b><\/h2>\n
How Do Serial Killers Choose Their Victims?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Are There Serial Killers All Around The World?<\/b><\/h2>\n
The Psychology of Serial Killers<\/b><\/h2>\n
Are Serial Killers Mentally Ill?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Are All Serial Killers Psychopaths?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Do Serial Killers Have A High IQ?<\/b><\/h2>\n