...Serial killers are not new; there have been many accounts of serial killers in past ages and in many different places around the world, so it's not just a part of one unique nation or time period. For example, one of the earliest recorded cases of serial murder was Locusta of Galt of the Roman Empire, who preferred the method of poison and was highly rewarded. But not enough information was recorded about her as to know how many people she killed and the span of years the killings took place. And there has been some discussion as to whether or not people like Lacousta were "serial killers", since by modern standards, the definition is different. But the intent to kill is there. The most typical example of the modern day Serial killer is "Jack...
Words: 1484 - Pages: 6
...Wiebe November 28, 2015 Are Serial Killers Created or Born? There are people out there who kill for the sake of pleasure. There aren't many are but they are out there. In our society we know them as serial killers. A serial killer by definition is a person who has killed more than three people at different times. There has been an ongoing debate about whether the serial killers are naturally born, murderous creatures, or if there has been certain circumstances throughout their lives which turn them to the monsters that the are. The mind of a serial killer all most never compares to another serial killer's mind, but one thing that they have in common is that they do not have a “normal” or “healthy” state of mind....
Words: 1467 - Pages: 6
...People say many different things create serial killers, some believe society breaks them down, but others argue that mental illness is the only reason that these monsters turn to cruelty and insanity. Psychologists, criminologists, and scientists searched to answer the question of why serial killers commit these mass killings and how they became such violent humans. What is left are two ideas, are serial killers born with predetermined genes/mental illness that plays an integral part in creating their homicidal tendencies or do psycho killers become murderous through their surroundings and society as children? It is important to understand how killers become such vicious individuals in order to help stop the influences that cause these monster....
Words: 1642 - Pages: 7
...There are three main types of serial killers: medical killer, organized killer, and disorganized killer. The medical killer is rare and unlikely to happen, "there have been some people who have become involved in the medical industry as a way to carry out their nefarious deeds” (Types of Serial Killers). They are highly intelligent, and there are doctors that have done it for years before they got caught. The organized killer are usually stalkers as well, and they try to plan out the murder very carefully and not to leave any evidence behind. The disorganized killer usually don’t plan out their murders, and they usually have a very low IQ. The victims are usually in the wrong place wrong time, and they don’t attempt to clean up and not leave...
Words: 785 - Pages: 4
...terrible secret happens to be that he is a psychopathic serial killer who is known in media as the “Thumbprint Killer.” Being a wealthy, successful businessman recently honored by the Portland, Oregon, Chamber of Commerce as "Man of the Year" as well as a philanthropist no one has ever suspected him. Being unable to control his horrific addiction, Brooks gives in to his sadistic, all too real alter ego “Marshall” played by William Hurt. A pesky, voyeuristic witness “Mr. Smith,” played by Dane Cook catches him in the act of his latest crime. The rush that Mr. Smith felt after seeing Mr. Brooks brutally kill a couple he used to watch and take pictures of while engaging in sexual activities has set him on a path of destruction and he is taking all the wrong steps to get there. Then there’s the detective, “Tracy Atwood,” played by Demi Moore who has been on the case for quite some time without Mr. Brooks knowledge of it adds a few twists and turns to an already terrifying game of cat and mouse. The way the script has been written, is a “moral” one. You have a man, “Mr. Brooks” who is fighting multiple demons. One demon is his addiction to killing people. “Mr. Brooks” claims in the movie that “he doesn’t kill people because he enjoys killing them. He kills them because he’s addicted to it.” The viewer is able to see the conflict is Mr. Brooks struggle. The struggle is that Mr. Brooks is desperately trying to evolve into what he is not. Mr. Brooks repeats the “Serenity Prayer”...
Words: 2285 - Pages: 10
...Sociopaths are people with no remorse. In this article a girl talks about being a sociopath and how not everyone that is on isn’t a serial killer or can cause physical harm. In her experience she begins with her childhood when she was beating up a girl and didn’t even realize that was a wrong thing to do. Even though the dad of that daughter told her not to do that she still didn’t understand. She used people for getting what she wanted and was still friendly enough that people didn’t realize there was anything different about her. Her family wasn’t necessarily mean to her and she wasn’t abused as a child but she hated her dad. He would not make enough money for their family to eat and the money he made he spent it on activities and hobbies...
Words: 309 - Pages: 2
...Abstract Many serial killers and mass murderers have been interviewed and tested to reveal why they killed and raped large groups of people. There are several factors as to why they perform such acts. My findings in this paper show that there is a logically explanation as to why they do what they do. In no way is killing or violence justified, but people have been through things we couldn’t imagine being put through. Many of these killers were put through harsh abuse physically, mentally, and emotionally which haunted them in their futures. This caused them to resolve their issues through inhumane ways. One who was put through sexual abuse became lust serial killers by wanting to rape the victims or sexually punish them. They want their victims to go through what they went through. Also, this paper shows that there are factors that deal with genes and the chromosomal make up that affects a person’s attitude causing them to be more aggressive than the average person. These killers have neurodevelopmental problems, troubled pasts, and mutations which lead to their motives to kill. “Young girls and mass murderers are tender hearted creatures”. This quote was stated by the author Pierre Lemaitre in his novel “Alex”. This line extracted from one of his crime based novels opens a lot of questions to an open mind with the focus on “tender hearted creatures”. One would assume any person can find a motive to kill. We watch television shows such as CSI or Criminal Minds thinking people...
Words: 2096 - Pages: 9
...department. He sticks to a very strict code that was taught to him by his own father who knew Dexter would be a killer since he was a child. The code his father would teach him was a guide that taught him to only kill other killers. This code would prevent him from getting caught while in the process of killing his victims. Even though Dexter only kills bad people, he also takes pleasure in killing and doing his very own ritual that he executes on all his victims. Dexter has no emotions and doesn’t know how to show emotion. Dexter’s father also taught him how to disguise his true self from the rest of society so that on the outside he seems like a normal...
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
...Mehmet Yılmaz University of Social Science and Humanities Warsaw-2012 Forensic Psychology Case study paper. Turkey is not as familiar with the serial killer case as much as the United States Of America is, but still, there have been several reported cases of serial killers during the criminal history of the Turkish Republic. In this essay, I will report upon my findings and opinions concerning one of the most notorious Turkish serial killers, Yavuz Yapicioglu. The essay will begin by a brief life story and criminal records of Yavuz Yapicioglu. I will then try to take a deeper look at his personality and serial killer identity from a psychological perspective. Yavuz Yapicioglu is a Turkish serial killer who murdered at least eighteen people between the period of 1994-2002 and assaulted many more. Even though criminal records tell us that he murdered eighteen people, his family and eye witnesses claimed he murdered between forty three to fifty people . What is more, his brother claims that Yapicioglu is not only a serial killer, but also a rapist. His brother believes that his sibling is responsible for raping and then murdering as many as two young university student girls, but police investigators do not have enough evidence to confirm it. Despite the fact that the true number of his victims remains unknown, his eighteen official criminal records are proof that he killed the most people in the entire criminal history of Turkey. It is worth starting, at this point...
Words: 2088 - Pages: 9
...Schizophrenics and Serial Killers: Coincidence or not? Schizophrenia and serial killing is not a new phenomenon; it dates back to the 1800’s. The man credited with being the first serial killer in the United States was Herman Mudgett, a.k.a. Dr. Henry H. Holmes. Holmes did most of his killing in Illinois in the disguise of a pharmacist and is credited with 133 murders. About the same time, serial killing was also occurring in London by a man known as Jack the Ripper. Ripper’s killing started in 1888 and was never caught for the heinous murders of five prostitutes. What can cause certain people to commit such murderous acts perpetrated against other human beings? Is it just pure evil or is it some kind of a mental illness? The jury is still out on that, but some serial killers are diagnosed with a mental illness. Serial killing is not something new but has been researched more over the last few years. Douglas & Olshaker , authors of Mindhunter, state that many of the stories told years ago about vampires and werewolves could have been the results of serial killers(1995, 18). Douglas & Olshaker further state that the crimes could have been so sadistic that people thought such acts could only be committed by monsters or non-human beings (1995, 18). It is of importance to also note that serial killing differs from other forms of killing. Some of the other forms include: mass murdering, spree killing, and murders resulting from rage or passion. Serial killing usually...
Words: 2805 - Pages: 12
...VOLUME EDITOR S. WALLER is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Montana State University Bozeman. Her areas of research are philosophy of neurology, philosophy of cognitive ethology (especially dolphins, wolves, and coyotes), and philosophy of mind, specifically the parts of the mind we disavow. SERIES EDITOR FRITZ ALLHOFF is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing the Philosophy for Everyone series, Allhoff is the volume editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey & Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food & Philosophy (with Dave Monroe,Wiley-Blackwell, 2007). P H I L O S O P H Y F O R E V E RYO N E Series editor: Fritz Allhoff Not so much a subject matter, philosophy is a way of thinking.Thinking not just about the Big Questions, but about little ones too.This series invites everyone to ponder things they care about, big or small, significant, serious … or just curious. Running & Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind Edited by Michael W. Austin Wine & Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking Edited by Fritz Allhoff Food & Philosophy: Eat,Think and Be Merry Edited by Fritz Allhoff and Dave Monroe Beer & Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer Isn’t Worth Drinking Edited by Steven D. Hales Whiskey & Philosophy:...
Words: 90119 - Pages: 361
...River killer Gary Ridgway, read in court in November 2003 by prosecutor Jeff Baird) Gary Leon Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, dumping the first five bodies of his victims along the Green River in King County, Washington, pleaded guilty on the 5th November 2003, to the murders of 48 women from 1982 to 1998. He is considered one of the most profilic psycho-serial killer in U.S. history, having one of the longest cases ever to be solved, including other isolated murders. In 1982, many young people had gone missing and this tolled up, over the years. A number of femail victims found dead in isolated parts of King County, Washington. In most cases, skeletal remains were found as the bodies took long to be discovered. Moreoever, most bodies were found nude and with no possessions thus making identification difficult. The "Green River Task Force" was set up in consequence to investigate the killings and track the suspect. At first, due to the large amount of data recieved at the police station in a short period of time, the investigation was delayed and there was not enough resources for the data to be processed and thus some data was lost. A common trait was identified from all the victims - most of the murdered girls had a history of prostitution. Investigators turned their attention to interviewing prostitutes, working in the main strip in Seattle. Unfortunately, many of them were not ready to negotiate with the police. Ted Bundy, another famous serial killer...
Words: 2026 - Pages: 9
...LeDoux Found that the amygdala is a major emotion center, especially for fear. Emotional valence refers to the quality of pleasant or unpleasant. Valence – pleasant or unpleasant quality to emotion. Positive/Negative valence. HOW DO EMOTIONS FIT INTO OUR PSYCHOLOGICAL BEING James – Lange Theory (William James/Carl Lange, US and Netherlands, same idea) Stimulus > Physical Reaction > Emotion Emphasis on body reaction Cannon – Bard Theory (Walter Cannon/Philip Bard) Stimulus > Brain Activity > Emotion Emphasis on the brain Schacter – Singer Theory Stimulus > Cognition > Emotion Emphasis on cognition Social Comparison Sometimes we don’t know what we’re suppose to feel/do/how to act, so we look at people around us to get cues on what we should do. The two roads of emotions: Low Road – Fast, without thinking, without judgement, unconscious part High Road – Slower, includes cognition and reasoning, conscious part THE EVOLUTION OF EMOTION Charles Darwin Got ideas from French scientist Guilllaume Duchenne Duchenne put electrodes on peoples faces and studies facial muscles...
Words: 589 - Pages: 3
...Characteristic Traits among Genders: The Sociopath and Psychopath by Evelyn J. Dotson MS, University of Phoenix, 2015 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Psychology University of Phoenix March, 2015 Abstract Psychopathic and sociopathic general characteristic traits are found in both genders in various populations. More research on the general characteristic traits of females is needed. Research for the female populations will give professionals information about the differences displayed between genders. Different applied sciences will also further their knowledge in treatment options for either tendency. The study used explored if any differences existed between genders with intensified levels of psychopathic traits in regard to psychopathy factor scores. The sample consisted of 2,500 people of both genders (52.6% women) (M=22.15; SD=1.38) from the generalized population, aged 20-24. Results displayed women with psychopathic personality traits had significantly higher levels of behavioral tendencies than men of the same. The genders did display a difference in aggressive behavior. The men showed a significant amount of aggressive behaviors compared to the women. The gender differences displayed in the seven psychopathic features show the variations needed for treatment options. Differences and Similarities in Generalized Characteristic Traits among Genders: The Sociopath and Psychopath by Evelyn J. Dotson ...
Words: 8016 - Pages: 33
...attempt to make sense of the many psychological disorders that are out there. You have been assigned to watch a popular movie. I decided to give this to you before Christmas Break because you will have at least 2 weeks to think of the movies form the list and watch one or two or whatever number you want. Pretend that you are a clinical psychologist, and the character in the movie has come in to your office. There is one central character in the movie that has symptoms of a psychological disorder (sometimes there may be more than one character; I have given you the character with the most obvious symptoms). In your paper, you should give a brief description of the character. Then, you should answer the following: o Identify the diagnosis that you would make of the character. • You should back up your diagnosis with the relevant symptoms displayed by the character (in other words, explain why did you make the diagnosis that you did). Refer to the movie to illustrate the symptoms that the character demonstrates. • Discuss all the possible symptoms of the disorder; does the client show all the possible symptoms, or only some of the possible symptoms of the disorder? • In some cases, the character may be lying, and does not really have a disorder. For example, the person may be faking the disorder to avoid prosecution for a crime. If you feel that the character does not really have a disorder, what makes you think that the person is lying? What evidence...
Words: 1508 - Pages: 7
