Serial Killers - Research Paper Example

Convicted serial killers have aided in the investigation for the motives of their actions as well as those who develop the vice. Introduction There are many vices that are portrayed by human beings who suffer from psychological disorders. Such vice include engaging in very heinous and inhumane acts. Such acts include domestic violence, child abuse, rape and stalking. People who engage in these acts do so in the search for psychological gratification. The main motivator to these vices is the urge to satisfy one’s pathological interests to experience power over the other humans.

Serial killing is one of the most disturbing acts that people engage in. multiple murders that are very gruesome. Serial killers are known to be very cunning and heartless. A serial murderer can kill quite a big number of people before being cornered. This is mainly because the serial killers commit perfect crimes whereby they leave very insignificant or no evidence behind. Murder detectives can take months trying to follow the steps of a serial killer. The most tasking part of hunting for a serial killer is trying to predict their killing pattern.

Once a serial killer becomes predictable, it gets easier to corner them. Serial killers can also be caught in the act or identified by witnesses or even forward themselves to the authorities and confess. This paper focuses on a research conducted on serial killers. The reason for studying on serial killers is to try and shed some light on why serial killers engage in such inhumane deviant behavior. The information in this research paper has been gathered from various studies and reports on serial killers.

Literature review Numerous studies have been undertaken on serial killers in the past. These are in an attempt to give the causes and the motivators of the deviant behavior. According to previous research, majority of the serial killers in the U.S are white males. Majority of the killers are usually in their late 20s. Black Americans make up for 16% of the serial killer cases reported by the media. Researchers have established the basic characteristics of a serial killer. These include being generally intelligent, some may be from unstable relationships, most of the m are victims of abuse from their past, they have fetishes that they have obsessions for, they are sadists and in most cases they have been involved in crimes before.

It is difficult to predict who is a killer or who is not in a society where many people portray one or several of the characteristics (Vronsky, 2004). Serial killers can also be very intelligent and successful people in the society who do not show any of the characters associated with serial killers. For instance in the reported case of Harold Shipman, who was very respectable man and a professional working with NHS, he was discovered to be a serial killer by the authorities. The man was a public figure in the community and he was well known for his award in the charity work supporting children with asthma.

The community was shocked to know the true character of the psychopath in him. Similar cases have been reported in the past about respectable people turning out to be psychopathic serial killers (Vronsky, 2004). According to many theorists, for one to become a serial killer, they have to have some motivational factors. Many psychologists believe that serial killers