The Case of Aileen Wuornos - Essay Example

Case Study Aileen Wuornos The case of Aileen Wuornos was heavily covered in the news and there have been several books, magazine and newspaper articles, and much research done on her behalf. She has been called "Monster" because she is one of the only women who preyed on men in such a vicious and predatory way. In a sense, she was set up from birth to do nothing more than to become a criminal. In another way, she is a case of an individual who may have been able to be turned around had she had the upbringing that was necessary with a family who loved her. She was convicted of killing six men although she said that each one was in self-defence because each man tried to rape her. The reality was that she lured each of the men through the promise of some form of sex (she was posing as a prostitute), took them into the woods, and killed them. There is a lot of controversy as to whether she was mentally ill and whether putting her to death was the "right" thing to do under the circumstances. With this information in mind this case study will look at Wuornos through Attachment Theory and Biopsychosocial Theory . Between the two theories it seems that the Biopsychosocial Theory is the best one to use for analyzing her situation although a combination of both would probably be more accurate. Outline of the Case Aileen (Lee) Carol Wuornos had a very tumultuous childhood. According to Chesler (1994, p. 96) Wuornos was a very abused child who had been "serially raped" and was beaten both as a child and as an adult. She perceived that she was always under attack in her life. Shipley and Arrigo (1994) state that Wuornos was raised by her maternal grandparents because she was abandoned by her mother as a baby. According to several other accounts, including MacLeod (2008) and Osborn (2009) she and her brother were abandoned when Aileen was three or four years old because her mother could not handle the noise that the children made. Her father was a convicted child molester and killed himself while in prison; Aileen never had contact with him. By the age of 14, Aileen was pregnant with someone's child. Although the father was never revealed, she said it was her brother at one point, or someone she called "An Elvis Presley look-a-like" (Shipley and Arrigo, p. ix). Her grandparents sent her to an unwed mother's home where she had the baby and then gave it up for adoption; the baby was adopted by another family. Aileen's life with her grandparents consisted of physical abuse by her grandmother who was also an alcoholic. Aileen was never told that she was being raised by her grandparents but she found out at age 12 (MacLeod, Chapter 2). At that point she and her brother rebelled against the grandparents by doing drugs, engaging in sexual activities, and skipping school (Osborn, p. 1). Aileen and her brother also enjoyed setting fires with lighter fluid which eventually burned and scarred Aileen's face for life (MacLeod, Chapter 2). Aileen had no friends or relationships because she was constantly thrown out of parties for vulgar and aggressive behaviour. She was belligerent and had a short temper. Still a teenager, she continued to do drugs, drink lots of beer and engaged in prostitution. By age 30 Aileen had robbed a convenience store and was arrested (Shipley and Arrigo, p. viii). Aileen grew into an adult with personality challenges that went unchecked. She felt she was "evil, wicked and worthless; that her life was filled with rejection and fright; and that there were no people she could trust" (Shipley and Arrigo, p. x). In addition, she was unable to maintain relationships because of her fears. She was hyperactive and generally exhibited, in some expert's opinions, a sociopathic nature. She never received help for her psychological problems or her abandonment issues so her behaviour escalated. Aileen (Lee) Carol Wuornos killed at least six men in Florida during a killing spree that lasted a little over one year. She posed as a prostitute and lured each man into the woods along Highway 75 in Florida, pretending that she would perform a sexual act, and then killing them. The FBI classified her as a "serial killer" but some researchers say differently because she does not fit the "profile" of the usual serial killer. According to Basilio (1996, p. 56) her case became "a sensationalized media spectacle in a climate of anxiety about gender roles…" It is clear that Wuornos also suffered from antisocial personality disorder which added to the pathology of her case. She was finally executed in 2002 by lethal injection and became the 48th woman to be executed. Analysis of the Case: Attachment Theory Attachment Theory is based on the premise that it is important for a child to have a positive attachment to their primary caregiver. Usually this is the mother but it can be other family members. From the early attachments that an individual has they accumulate information about themselves, any significant others and about the world around them; this he called "internal working model". (Arrigo and Griffin, 2004, p. 377). Wuornos was not able to form an attachment with the primary caregiver because her mother had little contact with her when they were living together (she was only 15) and she gave her to her grandparents. Her grandmother was and alcoholic and beat them and it seemed that her grandfather was there but not much has been said about him. Bowlby, the physician and psychoanalyst who first developed Attachment Theory argues that the emotional bond that a mother and a child form in the beginning of the child's life will take that child through the lifespan. (Arrigo and Griffin, p. 377). Levy and Blatt (1999) Bowlby saw three reactions that children had when they were removed from their primary caregiver: 1) they protest and look for the parent often crying and searching for them and they do not allow others to comfort them 2) they go into a state of despair where they react with passivity and sadness or 3) they detach from the mother and will ignore her if she returns (p. 545). Wuornos grew up believing that her grandmother was her mother and she had been mistreated by her mother. She was unable to attach to her mother or her grandmother so she detached from both of them. Her attitude towards her grandmother after she found out that she was not her real mother and her lifestyle from the time she was a teenager shows that there was no love or attachment in her home. She did have some relationship with her brother but he died early in his life. She was not able to really attach to anyone that was significant to her life. Other researchers have furthered Bowlby's work and their work is relevant to this case. Rothbard and Shaver (1994) saw that when a mother held her child close and was in close proximity of the child at all time, the child grew up and understood that the parent was there and that the child's need would be met. Shipley and Arrigo (2004) saw that if a child perceived that the parent was not available they would develop an internal working model that said that people in general were unreliable and that they as the child was unlovable (p. 377). As Shipley and Arrigo also pointed out Aileen went through her life feeling that she was unlovable and that she was wicked and worthless and could not trust anyone. In a sense, she killed the men before they hurt her which was also something that she talked about incessantly. Ainsworth et al. (1978) also saw that there were three different patterns of attachment depending on what happened to a child in this early part of their life. These three patterns were classified as secure attachment patterns, insecure avoidant patterns, and insecure anxious/ambivalent attachment patterns (Arrigo and Griffin, p. 378). Those children who were in the anxious/ambivalent category cried more often and were so afraid of the parent leaving that they could not engage in play or otherwise explore their area. As has been pointed out previously Wuornos was always anxious and she was belligerent as she became an adolescent. She was kicked out of parties, she was asked to leave other situations because of her behaviour. She was shown to be aggressive and out of control. Her attachment pattern was probably insecure anxious/ambivalent which might be one explanation of why she could kill the men she did in cold blood. Another aspect of attachment theory that must be recognized in Wuornos' case is the psychopathology that can develop when parents are not available. Berry, Wearden, and Barrowclough (2007) studied 58 patients with psychosis to examine attachments networks inside the group and how they interacted with staff or family members in terms of their attachment. Since people with psychosis have a difficult time forming relationships with people this study is important to the Wuornos case. They found that there were usually only a few people that people with psychosis could relate to at one time and that these relationships were primarily with family and mental health professionals. Although Aileen did not have contact with family members after a certain point, she did have an ongoing lesbian relationship with Tyria Moore. This relationship lasted until Wuornos was caught. Brennen and Shaver (1998) studied personality disorders and how they were to each other, parental divorce and parental death. This was a significant study for Wuornos because her parents divorced early in her life and her grandmother died when she was a teenager. In general people with personality disorders have difficulty forming interpersonal relationships throughout their life. What this study found was that those who were securely attached as children did not develop personality disorders but those who were not attached securely were more prone to develop personality disorders especially when they had some distress in their early life (p. 853). Analysis of the Case: Biopsychosocial Model The biopsychosocial model suggests that biological, psychological and social factors play a significant role in the context of illness and disease. According to Millon et al. (2003) this model suggests that psychopathy: will only develop in those individuals who are already vulnerable by virtue of their personality traits -- specifically, high impulsivity and high behavioural activation. If those individuals are also exposed to antisocial parents and/or chaotic family environments, the risk for psychopathy should be further increased. (p. 283). According to Goldman (2000) this model is something that can guide practitioners through a different perspective so that they can understand the entire picture bout an individual's problems. Rolland and Williams (2005) studied children through the lens of genetics and found that there are patterns that are genetic in certain diseases that doctors and psychiatrists should be aware of in order to help their clients access the treatment that they need. In a sense, when Aileen was conceived a genetic test may have shown that she was predestined to be a violent child and adult according to Goldman because there could have been genetic anomalies that would have show this information (p. 8). Mairo and Avery (1996) studied the literature around violent and abusive behaviour in men who engaged in domestic violence and found that most of the men that were studied were best looked at through the biophychosocial model but that they also needed counselling (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and some type of medication. This combination worked well. This model must be examined in the case of Wuornos because she had the risk factors that possible made her what she was in her adult life: she was born to a mentally unstable mother and a father who was a cruel paedophile. Her grandmother was an alcoholic and both homes she lived within were chaotic family environments. Millon et al. further suggested that psychopathy and personality disorders could only develop when there was an interaction between biological and psychological risk factors (p. 277). They also state a study by Robins (1966) that states that only those children who had delinquency early in life and before they were adolescents could be labelled "sociopathic" (p. 279). The study was confirmed by another study done in another British study later. Both Aileen and her brother were pretty actively delinquents when they were younger and as adolescents. The brother is not written about except to say that they participated in certain activities together. Although these studies were done about conduct disorder it is clear that Aileen was suffering from some type of personality disorder all her life. A parent's psychopathy can also be important to whether a child will develop their own psychopathy especially when it is the father who already has antisocial behaviour. When the combination of alcoholism, child abuse and the father's antisocial behaviour come together the child is more at risk for psychopathy. In this case, Aileen suffered child abuse and alcoholism from her grandmother and her father showed antisocial behaviour as a paedophile. Other indications are the fact that a child is undisciplined or separated from a parent early; often children are in a one parent home as well (Millon, et al. p. 281). Edward Mitchell in his online book, The Aetiology of Serial Murder: Towards an Integrated Model, suggests that an integrated model is necessary for the understanding of serial murderers. He suggests that the reason for this is that there are so many implications for why an individual commits serial murder that it is necessary to integrate the information: Any act of serial murder can be explained along two fundamental levels. The first is the background of the offender, his biological predisposition to aggressivity etc., that makes an individual capable of committing serial murder. This is a "traditional" aetiological explanation. The second level involves examining the immediate triggers that cause such an individual to actually commit an offence. Any integrated model should incorporate both levels and indicate any interactions between the two (Mitchell, Chapter 6). It is clear that it is important to look at a serial killer in a more holistic view which is why the biopsychological model makes the most sense. Wuornos was definitely someone who had more complications that could be seen in by the naked eye. She was prone to outbursts of anger and it was shown that she could become angry for no real reason. This meant that her anger and violence was triggered from something in the environment. It was known that she already had a psychological problem because she was bipolar and that her parents were not that stable, which may have accounted for something biologically and/or genetically. In looking at both the attachment theory and the biopsychosocial model it is this researcher's opinion that both aspects give a specific bit of information to describe Aileen Wuornos. The reason this is so is that on the larger scale her killing may have been do to psychological, biological (genetic) and social symptoms which possibly escalated her situation. There were definite triggers that happened when she was with the men she killed that could have been chemical or from the environment. However, she also suffered from the need for attachment. Russell (2008) said that "the real driving force in Lee's [Aileen's] life wasn't sex at all; it was a search for the emotional bond and love" (in MacLeod, Chapter 13). This being said suggests that both of these theories should be used together in order to explain her behaviour. Final evaluation and formulation The case of Aileen Wuronos is a complicated one because no one can actually be inside her head. She was impulsive and cruel but much of it was based on the fact that she had no attachment or bond with any of her family. The challenge with saying this is a matter of attachment theory is that there were complications with her before she knew that she did not have this attachment. From her early years she had problems but she thought that her grandparents were her biological parents. It is confusing to know what her relationship was with her grandparents because Russell (2008) says that it was her grandfather that was both psychically and emotionally abusive to her. This seems to indicate that both grandparents were detached from Aileen and she craved to this attachment. The only real attachments that Aileen had was with her brother and with Tyria, her lesbian lover. According to Russell her brother died at age 21 and the deep emotional bond that she was looking for was with Tyria. Aileen said that her "greater love" for Tyria "was not sexual" (Russell, Chapter 13) but that her bond was strong with Tyria. The indications that most of the men she killed were during the times when she was most afraid of losing Tyria -- she thought that she had to have money in order to keep them together. She killed men who were carrying several hundred dollars on them. Prior to this bond she had had relationships with other people, however sketchy, and she was prone to mood swings, outbursts of anger, and violent temper that drove most people away from her because it was difficult to be around her. In fact, Aileen was a lone when she died. She did have some support from a high school friend, Dawn on the last days of her incarceration leading up to the execution but no one was there when she was executed. Attachment theory definitely fits Aileen's character and she did struggle for a need to have that bond. The challenge with only using this theory is that there had to be something deeper that helped create such a vicious person. Although she fit the profile that the FBI had for serial killers, most women who are multiple killers usually kill someone close to them, will become black widows if they are looking for money or people they perceive to be weak; Aileen killed strangers. So, the attachment theory works but it is not the entire story. What was intrinsic in Aileen's psyche that created her situation? The answer to this question cannot be answered by attachment theory alone. The fact that she had a psychological disorder that was at least antisocial and that it was never addressed is important. A deeper look at antisocial personality disorder, according to the DSM-IV the diagnostic manual from the American Psychological Association gives the following pathology for this disorder: Factor 1: 1. Glibness or superficial charm 2. Grandiose sense of self 3. Pathological lying 4. Lack of remorse or guilt 5. Callousness or lack of empathy Factor 2: 1. Need for stimulation 2. Parasitic lifestyle 3. Poor behaviour controls 4. Impulsivity 5. Promiscuous sexual behaviour 6. Juvenile delinquency (Shipley And Arrigo, p. 43). It is clear that Wuornos showed all of these psychiatric problems throughout her life. Every book, magazine or newspaper article that has been written about her case has shown her to have several of these traits. She was impulsive, promiscuous as a prostitute, was a juvenile delinquent in setting fires, had an obvious need for stimulation regardless of the motivation and was known for her pathological lying to lure men into the woods. Jones (2008) suggests that although humans as a culture have moved away from much violence there is research to show that culture is a reason why people kill especially when they perceive a discrepancy in the social class (p. 515). This can support the idea that it the environment and the social conditions that Wuornos was involved in was the cause for what happened to her. It is not known what her father was like but the fact that he was also a criminal may have something to do with genetics. Shipley and Arrigo (2004) did an in-depth study of Wuornos as a case study that looked at her case from the Attachment Theory angle. They show that by the age of 11 years old she was already showing the antisocial behaviour. She was described as having a "Jekyll and Hyde" character by this time and she was having problems with other children by the time she was eight years old and she was involved in prostitution by the age of 11 (p. 99). These situations show that her environment and her psychological problems were moving her in the direction of violence. Some of the symptoms of Attachment Disorder include: 1. superficially engaging and charming -- to a moderate degrees she was already exhibiting these behaviours and people could tell that she was insincere in her efforts. She was seen as "acting" rather than feeling the emotions totally. 2. Indiscriminately affectionate with strangers -- she was a prostitute by age 11 and was approaching strangers for did not like affection. She was appalled at having to kiss her parents good night. 3. Destruction to self and others -- she was always seen as self-destructive by drinking, prostitution, smoking and drug use. She did not regard her body as important and often put herself in situations where rape could occur. 4. Lack of conscience -- she was involved in destructive behaviours that were also criminal in content and was thrown out of parties because of her behaviour. 5. Preoccupation with fire -- many fires were set by her bother and her as they were growing up. (Shipley and Arrigo, 2004, p. 116-117). As an adult, Aileen always showed an avoidant/dismissing style in her attachment style with other people. Her parents never made her feel loved or wanted and she lost her brother when he was 21. She never developed friendships other than Tyria that were significant in her life and she had no ability to relate to or to care for other people. By putting into position an internal working model that keep her from attaching to others, she was able to keep away from painful emotions and she was always insecure. Aileen Wuornos was a very complicated person, very sad and very angry. She was a "victim" of her biological, psychosocial and psychological processes within herself and the world around her. She was not able to do anything differently because when it would have counted for her to get the help she needed, in her younger years, her needs were not met. The biopsychosocial model is the best way to look at her circumstances because attachment was only part of her problem. Although she has been executed, she will be someone that psychiatrists talk about in studies for a very long time. References "Aileen Wuornos Biography". Biography.com. Retrieved April 22, 2009 from http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=11735792&print. Ainsworth, M.D.S., Blehar, M.C., Waters, E. & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment : a psychological study of the strange situation. N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Arrigo, B. and Griffin, A. (2004). Serial murder and the case of Aileen Wuornos: Attachment theory, psychopathy, and predatory aggression. Behavioural Sciences & the Law. 22:3. p. 375-393. Retrieved April 23, 2009 from EBSCOhost Database Academic Search Premier [AN: 13514751]. [Accessed 23 April 2009]. 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NY: McGraw-Hill. Jones, D. (2008). Human behaviour: Killer instincts. Nature, 451(7178), 512-5. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1421458621). MacLeod, M. (2008). "Aileen Wuornos: killer who preyed on truck drivers." True Crime Library. Retrieved April 23, 2009 from http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/ notorious_murders/ women/wuornos/2.html. Maiuro, R. D., and Avery D. H. (1996). Psychopharmacological Treatment of Aggressive Behaviour: Implications for Domestically Violent Men. Violence and Victims, 11(3), 239-261. Retrieved April 27, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1470323791). Millon, T. , Simonsen, E, Morten Birket-Smith, R. (2003). Psychopathology: Antisocial, criminal and violent behaviour. NY: Guilford Press. Mitchell, E. (n.d.). The Aetiology of Serial Murder: Towards an Integrated Model. Retrieved April 28, 2009 from http://www.francesfarmersrevenge.com/ stuff/serialkillers/ aetiology.htm#_Toc389890923 Levy, K. and Blatt, S. (1999). Attachment theory and psychoanalysis: Further differentiation within insecure and attachment patterns. Psychoanalytic Inquiry. 19, 541-575. Retrieved April 25, 2009 from http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu /attachment/danfords2002/documents/levy2.pdf. Osborn, J. L. (April 2009) "Aileen Wuornos" Retrieved April 24, 2009 from http://criminals-outlaws.suite101.com/article.cfm/aileen_wuornos. Petit, G.S. and Dodge, K.A. 2003. Violent Children: Bridging Development, Intervention, and Public Policy. Developmental Psychology 39(2) 187-188. Rolland, J.S. and Williams, J. K. (2005). Toward a Biopsychosocial Model for 21st- Century Genetics. Family Process, 44(1), 3-24. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 810928711). Russell, S. (2008). Why Aileen Wuornos killed -- and died. In Aileen Wuornos: Killer who preyed on truck drivers. Retrieved April 12, 2009 from http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/. Shipley, S.L. and Arrigo, B. 2004. The Female Homicide Offender: Serial Murder and the case of Aileen Wuornos. NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Read More