Serial Killing in Australia and the United States of America - Assignment Example

Compare the prevalence and type of serial killing in Australia and the United s of America in the last 20 years. How does the phenomenon differ in the two countries? Suggests explanations for the differences you find (if any). Use the research literature to support your claims. Introduction Serial killing is often described as a “random act” of insanity since most cases obviously do not have a motive behind it. Such motive should comprise of “financial gain, honor or provocation” on the part of the victim (Cohen, n.d.). The phenomenon of serial killing is quite frightening because primarily it deals with the macabre sensation of finding lost, torn, mutilated and decaying bodies. Since there is no grounds for motivation and the victims are generally strangers who are often nabbed from the streets, the occurrence of serial killing prints a picture of a sadist suffering from psychological and emotional disturbances (Cohen, n.d.), because they seem to enjoy the thrill and experience of killing. Like they have the power over their victims and take pride in knowing that their lives depended on them. Obviously what separates the type of killing from other homicidal crimes is that it needs no obvious motives for the killer to act out a killing spree. In general there is a time line for serial killing, which would be seen in the number of days, weeks or months from the previous murder or crime. And the modus operandi is the same. It is also a fact that the killer and the victim or victims do not know each other, are not related or not acquainted at all. Majority of the victims are at the wrong place at the wrong time. At the same time, serial murderers prey on people who they think they could control and manipulate. It is best to keep in mind that serial killers do not follow one pattern of killing but they do tend to leave a signature or mark on their victims. While the murders do appear at various locations, the killer kills more than once and goes off to a cooling period. But as for others, there could be a depicted regular time interval for the murders to occur, although they make it look like unrelated events to shake off suspicions and those on the trail of the investigation. Essentially, there are two types of serial killers (Cohen, n.d.) according to the FBI: 1) The disorganized killer and the organized killer. It is said that organize killers are psychopaths in the truest sense because even through they understand the pain that they have caused and know the wrong that they have done; they are not remorseful or sorry. Some of these serial murderers or killers continue what they are doing without the effect of conscience. 2) The disorganized killer on the other hand is someone who could be described as “psychotic” because they lose touch with reality and reason out that they hear “voices” ordering them to the heinous acts (Cohen, n.d.). While the FBI has classified serial killers as previously described and discussed, Holmes and Holmes according to Cohen (n.d.) categorizes serial killers as follows: 1. Missionary Oriented – where the killer is on a self-assigned mission to get rid of the evil in the world (like gays, lesbians or prostitutes). 2. Visionary Killer – who believes himself or herself to be compelled by God or the devil to kill. In other words, he believes he or she is the “chosen one” who hears “voices” that commands them to do what they do. 3. Hedonistic – are killers who kill for the pleasure and thrill of it. It is important to remember that a serial killer who may sexually abuse a victim is not actually gratified with the act of having had intercourse. The main gratification lies on the fact that he or she gets a high or experienced euphoria in the act of killing and having dominance over their victims (Cohen, n.d.). Taking all the foregoing circumstances into deeper perspective and context, it is significant to gain deeper knowledge on the background of a serial killer. These types of killing according to Cohen’s (n.d.) study portray the following: 1. Serial killers grew up in families who have dysfunctional problems wherein physical, psychological and sexual abuse was a predominant factor. 2. Most serial killers grew up in poverty with parents or guardians who are unemployed. These types of environment give them a skewed perception of the limits and meanings of violence and pleasure. 3. A combination of the other factors mentioned above could also produce a serial killer. Although a person may have grown-up or may have experience the aforementioned aspect and behaviors of a possible serial killer. It is important to consider that not all people who grew up or were exposed to such living factors could end up doing a killing spree. It is however scientifically and psychologically necessary that causative factors from one’s childhood like abuse and violence be considered as a contributory factor that an individual could possibly become a serial killer in the future due to the violent response that he or she may have had to environmental and societal stressors. The ideal serial killer could be though of by many as a geek or the misfit, which could generally make a person standout in a room seemingly full of normal people. But most serial killers who were caught led normal day-today lives and were even prominent in their respective communities. While some were insignificant individuals who cannot seem to do any harm and who blended in comfortably with the stream of normal people. Females are a-typical serial killers – meaning they generally do not fit the “typical profile” of a serial killer since most women kill for valid reasons like self-defense and having had enough of an abusive or negative situation in life. But while women serial killers are rare, they could be more deadly, are difficult to apprehend and are more complexly motivated (Cohen, n.d). Compare and Contrast Serial Crime Murders in Australia and in the United States Australia at present possessed a record of nine (9) known serial killers, but this does not include those who have evaded arrests since 1960. Between July 1, 1989 to June 30, 1999 there have been three (3) serial murders in the Down Under, namely: 1. The Frankenston Serial Killer – Paul Denyer 2. The Backpaker Serial Killer – Ivan Milat 3. The Snowtown Serial Murders According to Cohen’s (n.d.) study, the serial killer experts have a contrasting view on the actual number and precision of prevalent murders at present in Australia that makes it impossible to measure and trace in long term trends, making serial murder experts to conclude that the serial killing problem is not “near epidemic proportions” on the country continent. In relation to the above, the serial killings in 1996 has prompted the Australian government to make changes in its firearms legislation, but did not make the Australian streets safer (Mauser, 2003). The homicidal rates in Australia did not have any rise from 1995 to 2001, but recently, the number of crime murders began to escalate again. It appears that as of late, the decrease of the homicidal occurrences in the United States while allowing private citizens to have licensed guns is a stark contrast to the increasing trend of violence in Australia, which controlled the flow of firearms in its legislative body. Meaning, while violent crime is decreasing in the United States, it is increasing in Australia Mauser, 2003) despite the control that was enforced in the issuance of private licensed firearms. Now in the United States territory, a serial killer is usually defined as one who may have started or participated in three (3) or more murders during a certain period of time including a cooling-off period in between each murder (Missen, 2000). The affected areas where the serial killings happened share common factors as follows (Missen, 2000): 1. Presence of a significant counter culture 2. High prison population 3. Post-imperial heritage 4. Densely populated urban communities 5. On-going socio economic transformation 6. Great expectation of consumerism Within the United States, the quantity of serial killers differ from state to state from 1860 to 1995 (Missen, 2000). A study made by Professor James Defronzo (2007) of the University of Emeritus Sociology, using sociological perspectives showed that the Western regions of America has more serial crime murders that the other parts like the Northeast. His study showed that the “sociological structural factors” such as: Population; divorced residents; one person households; and unemployed residents explains why certain states and regions have the most male serial killers in the country. Likewise, the study also indicated that cultural factors such as the high ratio of executions to homicides and the classification as a southern state are related to the high rate of serial killing. In order to better understand that personality of a male serial killer in the United States, professionals and experts on crime made use of various psychiatric analyses. However, the approach does not show why there is a difference, geographically speaking on the umber of serial killings (Defronzo, 2007). In a study featuring the serial murders that happened in the United States from 1900 to the 1990s indicated that there was a flat trend for the first half of the century, which had approximately ten (10) serial killers per decade) – this is from the 1900s to the 1950s. (Marxist and Culture War, 2007). Around the 1960s the number of killers or killing tem (partners) increased to 40, and has then increased four times as much in the following decades (1970 onwards). While there may have been changes in the prevalence of serial killings and the law enforcement became properly equipped in the detection of such crimes, there was still a consistent rise of violent crimes and homicides during the 1980s. Serial murders have always been in existence within the United States, and since it is one of the countries around the world that monitors homicide statistics in its backyard, it has been known that stranger to stranger homicides have increased for the past years. Although it is quite difficult to come up with accurate numbers for the serial killings in the United States, the FBI reports that there were around 331 serial crime murderers and around two thousand (2,000) victims for the period January 1977 to April 1992 alone. In congruence to the preceding paragraphs, the similarities between serial murderers in the United States and other countries are (How Much Serial Murders, n.d.): 1. They have assorted mental disorders. 2. They are under severe psychological stress 3. They do not have the ability to cope with the hard side of life. 4. They possess the capacity for violence 5. They indulge in fantasies. 6. They are isolated or disconnected from society. And the differences that were manifested are (How Much Serial Murders, n.d.): 1. Serial murders or killings are defined differently in other cultures. 2. Cultural differences influences the methods and motives for serial murders (robbery than sexual murders). 3. Serial murder profiles constructed in the United States are often contradicted by profiles created by foreign law enforcements. Moreover, in assessing the global information on serial murders between the United States and that of other countries, the following were revealed (How Much Serial Murders, n.d.): 1. Other countries report to have “super killers” due to the offenders’ claims of having killed or murder hundreds of victims. 2. Female serial killers are more rampant and common in foreign countries. They are usually accomplices and use poison. Most of these cases are well publicized by the media. 3. Team killers are less prevalent in foreign countries than in the United States. 4. Foreign serial killers victimized more acquaintances than strangers. 5. While torture, strangling, Stabbing and chopping are also used by foreign serial killers – they rarely use guns as the method or form of execution. 6. United States serial killers appear to be more mobile than their foreign counterparts, probably due to the presence of cultural diversity and language barriers. Conclusion Since serial murders causes great fears and widespread anxieties due to its savagery and randomness, law enforcement agents should approached serial murder differently from other types of homicides. A prompt and coordinated action must be taken by authorities even if it involves various jurisdictions (Pinto et al, n.d.). The rationalization of why a serial murder happens or why it occurs could be based from the following (Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 1990): 1. Psychological Factors 2. Sociological Factors, and 3. Cultural Factors Psychological factors are explained by showing that the serial killer cannot be determined what is right and wrong. Further, he cannot perceive or comprehend the consequences of his actions and usually have the strong tendencies to willfully hurt other people. The sociological factors explain that the killer lacks social advantages or societal compensation since he is financially hard-up or broke; lacks the goods and capacity others enjoy and has experience discrimination. The cultural aspect of the equation involves being different from what others believe in, and that makes him aloof, withdrawn and a social outcast in the society. It is also a known and established fact that serial killers and murderers are quite hard to apprehend as per the experience of law enforcement agencies in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia. The difficulty lies on the fact that (Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 1990): 1. The killing is more often considered an isolated case, especially if it is the first of the series of murders. 2. The evidence left by the killer is not sufficient to build a case on. 3. The next crime is usually in a different location under different jurisdiction, thus law enforcers may conclude that it may not be related to any other crime. 4. Since the killer strikes at random and does not choose any particular victim, it is hard to identify him and predict his next move. While Australia may have its share of serial killers, the number of serial murders in the United States is by far still bigger even though there is a decrease of violent crime in the United States (Pinto et al, n.d.). Serial murder at presents represents only a small percentage of the entire number of homicides in Australia but there is a possibility that these could change in the future. In the United States, serial murder experts projects that an increase on “stranger killing” is a very big possibility due to the increasing difference in socio economic capabilities. Despite the complexity of having a serial killer on the loose and a series of murdered victims, it could be solved and the perpetrator apprehended. Experts recommend the following when investigating a serial murder case (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2008): 1. The presence of strong leadership within the chain of command to withstand pressures coming from the victim’s family, politicians and the media. 2. A well coordinated task force that shares its resources, information and updated technology in order to have a common reference and ground on where the investigation is and where it will proceed from there. 3. Must have a system that collates and organizes all data needed for the investigation process. This could either be in the form of a human team or a computer system software that could keep a data bank regarding the case at hand. 4. Should have a separate team of crime analysts who could aid investigators on important information like time of death, backgrounds on possible suspects, etc. 5. A sole forensic service that is consistent, where all evidence, samples and other factors regarding the crimes and the crime scene are forwarded to for processing. 6. “A strong media plan” where relevant information and kept from the public news but sufficient news coverage is given to make the public aware of what has been going on in their particular community. It is also important to remember that (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2008): 1. Serial killers also lead normal lives, and some of them have a family, along with a job and are known in their community. 2. Serial killers should not be judged according to racial diversification – meaning that serial killers are not all white males. 3. Serial killers are caught because they get careless, or sometimes admit to the crime, but if they think they could get away with the crime then they get bold and become more dangerous overtime. The widespread apprehension caused by the serial killing in Australia or the United States could be curtailed by the immediate response of its law enforcement agencies along with the aid of new and advance technology that aids in the analysis of the investigation. Although both countries may differ in their style of approach in the investigation of a violent homicide, and how they define a serial killer; the most important thing to consider is that law enforcement agencies must do their best to keep it to a minimum and safe level for the tax paying citizens who want to live in a peaceful community. References Cohen, Tamara. (n.d.). Serial Killing: A Forgotten Phenomenon. [On line] Available: http://www.uplink.com.au/lawlibrary/Documents/Docs/Doc58.html Defronzo, James. 2007. New Research is First to Explore Regional Differences in US Serial Killings: Science Daily. [On line] Available: http://www.science.com/releases/2007/01/070125110732.htm Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2008. Serial Murder: New Report Highlights Views of Experts. [On line] Available: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/july08/serialmurder_070708.html How Much Serial Murder. (n.d.). [On line] Available: loyno.edu/criminaljustice/bcj/Thornton/prevalence_of_serial_murder.ppt Marxism and Culture War. 2007. Serial Killer White Out. [On line] Available: GT http://majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/serial_killer_white_out/ Mauser, Gary. 2003. The Failed Experiment Gun Control and Public Safety in Canada, Australia, England and Wales: Public Policy Sources Number 71. [On line] Available: www.hardylaw.net/FailedExperiment.pdf Missen, Christopher G. 2000. Serial Murder in the United States, 1860-1995 (From Atlas of Crime: Mapping the Criminal Landscape, P 155-161, 2000, Linda S. Turnbull, Elaine Hallisey Hendrix, eds, et al., -- See NCJ-193465. [On line] Available: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=193483 Pinto, Susan, Wilson, Paul R. (n.d.) Serial Murder: No. 25. [On line] Available: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/ti25.pdf Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice. 1990 ISSN 0817-8542 ISBN 0 642 15552 6 Australian Institute of Criminology GPO Box 2944 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia. [On line] Available: http://www.aic.gov.au Read More