Are some people born serial killer - Research Paper Example

?History and Background There has been an increased interest in the minds and workings of the so-called “serial killer.” The definition of a serial killer, according to Scott (2000), is “someone who, through premeditation, kills three or more people in a period of time” (Scott, 2000, p. 12). According to this description, there has been over 200 serial killers over a period of more than 100 years, and that these murderers killed, on average, between 8 and 14 victims during the period of 4 to 8 years. Further, Scott states that the stereotype of the serial killer, according to the popular public perception, is that these killers are male, psychopathic and sexual sadists (Scott, 2000). Keeney & Heide (2000) state that serial killers must be distinguished from spree killers and mass murderers. A mass murderer is somebody who kills a large amount of people in one setting. The Columbine murders come to mind, as does the case of George Hennard, who killed 23 people in a Luby's Diner in Killeen, Texas in October of 1991. The spree killer, on the other hand, is somebody who kills many people in different locations, but in the context of one event. The case of Andrew Cunanan, who killed the designer Gianni Versace, as well as a number of other individuals around the country, before finally killing himself, is an example of this. The spree killer is different from the serial killer, because there is not a “cooling off” period. This means that there was not a chance for the killer to calm down – the killer is keyed up throughout his killing spree. The serial killer, on the other hand, kills, then has periods of calm and kills again, etc. (Keeney & Heide, 2000). There has been a number of theories about how serial killers are “formed” - are they born with the disposition to become serial killers, or is it entirely the environment, or is it a combination of both? The following will demonstrate the pros regarding the theory that serial killers are born, not made, then the cons, which argue that serial killers are made, not born. In the end, it seems to be a combination of both, although it might be different for every killer. Pros Bi-Polar Disorder, an inherited disorder, is a component in serial killer personality. The theory above has been put forth by Jonathan Pincus and Dorothy Lewis. The two have studied serial killers for years, and have written a book detailing their theory on what “creates “ a serial killer. By “trifecta,” Pincus and Lewis state that serial killers invariably show a combination of brain damage, mental illness and prior abuse (Pincus, 2001, p. 27). Louis Culpepper, who was not a serial killer, but was a child molester, was the first person who Pincus examined who showed the trifecta. Culpepper was thirty years old and was molesting his six year old stepdaughter. Pincus examined Culpepper and found that Culpepper had frontal lobe damage, and was physically and sexually abused as a child. (Pincus, 2001, p. 27). Culpepper was the initial criminal who showed signs of this trifecta. From there, Pincus examined serial killers, and found that every one of these killers had the trifecta as well. Pincus' theory led him to believe that the typical serial killer suffered from bi-polar disorder, which means that they go through bouts of mania, and it is during this mania that the killer would go through the kinds of manic urges that marks the start of the urge to kill. This is one of the reasons why many serial killers appear normal to the outside world, theorizes Pincus, because if the killer is not going through a manic state, that individual will appear calm and placid to the outside world. Thus, the typical refrain of “I can't believe that he would do this – he seemed like such a nice fellow” is explained by this, according to Pincus (Pincus, 2001, p. 129). Thus, this part of the trifecta is inherited, and it is an important component. Still, this does not tell the whole story, as evidenced below in the cons section – because brain damage and abuse are two other, equally important components of the makeup of the serial killer, according to Pincus and Lewis. Anti-Social Disorder, which is a sometimes inherited personality disorder, is another well-known component of the serial killer personality Anderson (1994) states that anti-social personality disorder is a disorder which is often seen in serial killers. This disorder is marked by a variety of symptoms, and one of the symptoms listed by Anderson is the inability to form loving relationships with anybody. Other characteristics of this disorder is thrill-seeking behavior, which is another common component of the violent personality, as well as behavior which is impulsive and aggressive. Sadism is also often seen in those with anti-social personality disorders, according to Anderson (1994), as the serial killer fantasizes about torture. Moreover, those with anti-social personality disorder are marked by an absolute lack of guilt. As Anderson puts it, the traits which mark a civilized person in a civilized society- the ability to care for others, a conscience and control over one's behavior – are missing in an individual suffering from anti-social personality disorder. Another theory is that males with an extra “Y” chromosome are predisposed for violence Pincus also posits another theory, and that is that some males are born with an extra “Y” chromosome, and that the presence of this chromosome makes the individual more prone to violence. This theory was tested by doing a survey of violent prisoners' DNA. What was found was that there was a high prevalence of the extra Y chromosome in these prisoner's population. Pincus states that mental retardation is also often caused by this extra “Y” chromosome, and that some serial killers, like Richard Speck, who murdered a group of student nurses, are mildly mentally retarded (Pincus, 2001). The neurochemical theory states that low brain levels of serotonin may cause violence. Pincus cites yet another theory on what creates violence, and this theory touches on the heritability of violence. This theory is that some people are born with low levels of the transmitter serotonin in their brain. Serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain which is important because researchers have found a link between low levels of this chemical and violent and criminal behavior (Pincus, 2001). Another theory states that predisposition to violence is genetic. Pincus' other theory that he cites for support of the link between violence and heritability is that violence is, essentially, genetic. Scientists have found that there is an abnormal gene which is seen in individuals who display violent and aggressive behavior. The gene that creates moamine oxidase type A (MAO-A), which is an enzyme that degrades serotonin, was abnormal in a large Dutch family who was studied by the researchers. This Dutch family displayed violence by pushing and shoving one another and making inappropriate sexual advances to the female relatives. Specifically, the gene was abnormal in that it did not make the MAO-A (Pincus, 2001). Cons Part of what makes a serial killer a serial killer is not inherited, according to Pincus. For instance, brain damage is part of the trifecta. Pincus states that the trifecta consists of the inherited characteristic of a mental illness with characteristics which are not inherited, these being brain damage and abuse. Concerning the brain damage part of the trifecta, Briken et al. (2005) studied brain injuries, and brain injuries are responsible for the behavior exhibited by serial killers. They posit that lesions, head injuries and epilepsy are brain injuries which might contribute to the behavior of serial killers, as cognitive impairment and diminishment of inhibitory control are seen in individuals with these types of brain injuries. They cited previous studies which showed that 64% of sexual murderers showed some type of brain abnormality. Frontal abnormalities of the brain are associated with sexual violence, and injuries on the temporal part of the brain contribute to sadistic tendencies and pedophilia. To that end, they did a study where they compared 166 sexual murderers over a period of 46 years (between 1945 and 1991), and had them retrospectively examined by three raters. They found that brain abnormalities were present in 31% of those examined had some type of brain injury – epilepsy, encephelitis, and traumatic brain injuries were among those seen in these patients (Briken et al., 2005). While the numbers might seem low, 31%, and Pincus posits that brain injuries are an integral part of the serial killer mentality, it must be noted that these men examined by Briken were sexual murderers, and they were not necessarily serial killers. This is a fine distinction, as somebody might be a sexual murderer one time. And, the fact that these researchers found that only 31% of sexual murderers had a traumatic brain injury would come as no surprise to Helen Morrison, MD, who disputes that brain injuries are a cause of serial killer behavior. She has spent over 400 hours with serial killers, and has had such well-known clients as John Wayne Gacy, who murdered 33 young boys. Morrison found that Gacy did not have brain damage. Morrison believes that the tie between brain damage and serial killer behavior is tenuous at best, and that Pincus and Lewis did not show cause and effect. In other words, Morrison believes that, while some serial killers exhibit brain damage, this brain damage was not necessarily the cause of the behavior. Rather, it is just a component in these individuals, and the cause and effect is not shown (Morrison, 2004, p. 177). Another part of the trifecta is abuse Severe abuse is another part of the trifecta put forth by Pincus. Pincus posits that dissociative identity disorder, which is commonly known as multiple personalities disorder, is a somewhat common by-product of abuse, and often is at the root of people who are serial killers. Dissociative identity disorder, or “DID” occurs when there is severe abuse, and the alternate personalities manifest as a source of protection for the individual. Pincus describes Leo Murphy as one such individual who had DID. Murphy described events where he blacked out, and other times when he felt like his mind was transporting him to different places. Outsiders saw Murphy as having multiple personalities – for instance, Murphy's uncle stated that Murphy was a man with many different personalities that were distinct. As with many, if not most, documented cases of DID, Leo had a history of abuse. In his case, it was his sadistic stepmother who abused him by hanging him up by his thumbs, burning his hands on the stove, forcing him to smoke cigarettes at age 10, beating him repeatedly with a wire brush and a belt, pushing him down a flight of stairs, chaining him up in the basement for days without even letting him use the bathroom, and locking him for days in a small closet. When he emerged from the closet, his mother would proceed to rub feces in his face. The stepmother also abused him sexually, by forcing him to perform oral sex on her. Scalding water enemas was another part of her abuse of Leo. She also stuck objects into his rectum, such as tampons and dildos (Pincus, 2001, pp. 166-167). Leo developed several different personalities because of this abuse, including two personalities – David and Tony – that led Leo into burglarizing a house, then raping and murdering the woman inside. Dr. Pincus states that Leo is not an isolated murderer with DID. Rather, Dr. Pincus states that up to one third of the killers that he has studied have had some form of DID. Dr. Pincus also states that he established that 12 of the killers which he studied had DID, and that all but one of these with DID had suffered severe abuse, much like the abuse experienced by Leo (Pincus, 2001). Dark fantasies play a role in creating the serial killer Another component in what creates a serial killer, or causes the serial killer to kill, is the role of dark fantasies. Anderson (1994) did a study on the role that fantasy plays in a serial killer's decision to kill. He found that a typical serial killer is addicted to fantasy, just as a person might be addicted to drugs or alcohol. In this way, the fantasy becomes the killer's own means of coping with the world. Anderson states that, while fantasy addiction is not necessarily what a person might think of when they think of addiction or addictive tendencies, it is appropriate to characterize the killer's compulsion in this way. Just as exercise, pornography or gambling can be addictions to people, so may fantasies. That said, addictions have component which are physiological, biological as well as psychological. The person who is addicted to fantasy, sex, gambling, alcohol, drugs, etc. use their chosen crutch to cope with the world and the stresses of the world. The worries that beset them are still present, yet the alcohol or gambling is their way of finding comfort and solace. Left untreated, the addiction gets worse. Anderson states that the fantasies that killers imagine contribute to their urge to kill, and that the serial killer is addicted to these fantasies. These fantasies can be either of raping, torturing, killing, or all of the above (Anderson, 1994). Hate contributes to serial murderers Anderson (1994) also states that sociogenic theories may explain the behavior of the serial killer. According to this theory, the serial killer is a product of his or her society and environment (Anderson, 1994). Part of this environment may be hate, and this may lead to what Anderson terms a “mission oriented killer” (Anderson, 1994). A “mission oriented killer,” according to Anderson, is a killer who kills because he or she wants to rid his or her environment from the object which is hated – such as those killers who kill prostitutes or gays. Hate comes from a mentality which pits “us” verses “them.” Hate may also spring from a type of absolute, black and white thinking, where the individual feels that only he has the right answers, and everybody else in the world is wrong. Inferiority may also breed hate, as the killer feels inferior to others, so they hate others in an attempt to make him or herself feel better. Stereotyping and scapegoating, where the killer places the problems of society onto the group hated, such as, once again, the killer who kills prostitutes, is another aspect of this type of thinking. Dehumanization completes the picture, as the killer feels that the hated group is less than human or is “other” (Zizek, 2008, p. 99) Serial Murderers are the result of being part of a group which is in danger of losing one's social standing One of the more interesting theories about the etiology of serial murders is put forth by Philip Lindsay, as cited by Haggerty (2009). Lindsay states that serial murderers have had different motives throughout history of murdering. Each era which has documented serial killers has been marked by different motivations from one group to another. For instance, in the pre-industrial age, the aristocrat might be the multiple murderer who preys upon peasants. In the industrial age, he is part of the new bourgeois, and his victims tended to be prostitutes. In the mature industrial age, the murderer tends to be part of the faded bourgeois, and the victims tend to be university women and people in the middle class. Lindsay states, to support his theory, that multiple murderers during these eras are those who are in danger of losing social standing, which causes a crisis, and these individual attack others who they feel are responsible for their loss (Haggerty, 2009). Conclusion After reading the evidence supporting both sides, the common consensus is that there are a number of different variables which go into making somebody violent enough to be a serial killer. In other words, it is never as simple as “nature verses nurture” - as with anything else, including intelligence, personality, etc., it seems to be a combination of both. Pincus' theory that there is a trifecta that causes people to become serial killers is a persuasive one. After all, it stands to reason that bi-polar disorder or another inherited mental disorder might be at the root of a serial killer's behavior. Mania in bi-polar disorder may definitely be a contributing factor to a serial killer's behavior, and it would explain why seemingly normal people sometimes kill. Likewise, anti-social personality disorder, although the inheritability of this disorder is less clear than that of bi-polar disorder, is another disorder which would provide a suitable explanation for a killer's behavior. In particular, as this disorder is marked by thrill-seeking and a lack of a conscience, it would seem that this type of disorder would be very prevalent in those who are serial killers. Less persuasive are the theories that an extra chromosome is to blame for violent behavior. That said, there is not an argument that there are millions of people living with bi-polar disorder, as well as millions who are anti-social. Yet, they do not kill. Therefore, there must be something extra which makes these killers become violent. Pincus' research on brain damage is persuasive. It stands to reason that if somebody damages a part of their brain which governs impulse control, or a part of the brain which activates violent behavior, that this person might be more predisposed to becoming violent than others might be. Again, however, there are probably also millions who are brain damaged the areas which would implicate violent behavior, and some of those people probably also have bi-polar disorder or anti-social personality disorder, yet they do not kill. At this point, one should look to the person's environment. There are a multitude of environmental scenarios which would encourage violent behavior, such as those displayed by a serial killer. Horrific abuse seems to be a common denominator between many serial killers. Perhaps this abuse causes DID, or perhaps it does not. It stands to reason, however, that horrific abuse would cause violent behavior, and this behavior might also have a genetic component. After all, the parent is violent, and perhaps that parent has a disorder which makes that parent violent, and this disorder might be passed on to the child. Schizophrenia, which has not been discussed, is one possibility, in that the parent might be schizophrenic, and this might be passed onto the child. The parent might also be manic, and this, too, is passed on. Add this to the fact that abuse, in and of itself, has been known to cause the child to become violent, and one understands that this might be a large component in creating violent behavior. Moreover, a child may be taught to hate certain groups by his or her parents. The parent, feeling inferior, may hate gays or blacks or Jews or women. The child, steeped in this hateful, black and white thinking, begins to hate as well. This festers to the point where the child grows up with the feeling that his or her destiny is to eradicate the hated group. Society also plays a role in this, and that is what makes the theory of Haggerty (2009) so interesting. Specifically, he states that individuals who are in groups who feel that their social standing is being threatened may become serial killers, and their victims are those whom they feel are responsible for this loss of social standing. In the end, it is pretty obvious that there is not one formula that would fit all with serial killers. It is a complex phenomenon with complex answers. Ted Bundy might have some of the factors which lead to serial killing, and not have others. Jeffrey Dahmer might have completely different factors than Ted Bundy. Bundy and Dahmer, in other words, may have little in common with one another except that each have a compulsion to kill. Some serial killers might have the trifecta, while others do not. Some serial killers might have been raised normally, in loving homes that are not abusive, and they might not have any inherited disorders of the brain, nor brain damage. Experts have not been able to agree what causes a person to become a serial killer, probably because it is different with everybody who is a serial killer. Therefore, while it is difficult to state with any confidence whether a serial killer is born or made, it is less difficult to state with confidence that nobody really knows the answer to this question. Bibliography Anderson, Jonathan. “Genesis of a Serial Killer.” Available at: http://www.angelar.com/~jeremy/genesis.html Haggerty, Kevin. “Modern Serial Killers.” Crime, Media and Culture 5 (2009): 168-177. Morrison, Helen. My Life Among the Serial Killers. New York: Harper Collins, 2004. Pincus, Jonathan. Base Instincts: What Makes Killers Kill. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2001. Scott, Jan. “Serial Homicide: An Overview.” In Serial Killers: Contemporary Issues Companion. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Read More