Causes and Effects of Serial Killers and Killings - Coursework Example

Causes and Effects of Serial Killers and Killings Serial Killers and Killings Society has often questioned if there people who are born wicked, lack that self conscience that makes people think about the consequences of an evil action or lack empathy towards others. The mere thought of some pain on one’s body is devastating, let alone inflicting it on someone else, but that does not seem to be the case with serial killers. The guts that come with taking great pleasure in causing others intense pain is absurd. In recent years, people have died in mysterious ways. Investigations have been conducted and mostly found that these killings have some connection to one another. The similarities include: the causes or manners of death, sex, age group and physical features. Everyone who thinks these killers are just mentally disturbed or evil is just a part of a society that is confused and seeks answers as to why and what may really motivate such an act. Serial killing has caused many negative effects both directly and indirectly and should be condemned by all possible means to avoid any further indulges (Mitchelle, 2011). Contrary to the lunatics portrayed in most movies, a serial killer is an ordinary, typical citizen, who travels from state to state at times looking for ‘prey’. Once the victims are identified, they are often sodomized or raped, tortured and later killed (Mitchelle, 2011). Most of these victims as earlier stated are mostly killed in a similar fashion, must have something in common and are mostly strangers. A serial killer is fully aware of what is right and wrong and can easily choose not to indulge in the evil act but does not simply care. Causes of Serial Killer Traits and Killings A serial killer is a sociopathic personality who has the excessive desire to preside over others and has no internal control of this habit. This does not mean that all sociopaths are murderers; there are those who are bound by community pressures, family members and other external controls. No one is born evil and there are no genes that carry violence or wickedness in a human being. Everyone is different and has the audacity to choose what to do and not to do. Everyone has the ability to become evil but the intensity is what differs. A person does not wake up one morning and decide that he or she should kill a stranger for no apparent reason. The lack of empathy is an early sign of psychopathic tendencies and parents, guardians, teachers and those around such an individual should play an important role in observing and taking remedial actions when such traits are observed in kids. Empathy is the ability to associate with what others are feeling; to be happy and suffer with them-the lack of this trait stems from individuals turning or being turned into objects, hence these people can only relate to other people as though they were just objects (Simon, 2012). Growing in a cold environment full of violence and lack of understanding plays a major role in developing such cases. When a child is brought up in a place where he or she knows no peace, where no one cares about the other, all they do is think about themselves and no one else; they grow with this mentality and reach a point where they see no benefit in doing good. Abused kids later direct their pain and distress towards innocent people (Frakes, 2008,). It is alarming and unacceptable how perpetrators believe that violence and the murder of human beings is an acceptable and most efficient way of implementing their motives and goals. It is challenging to establish the exact mechanisms by which specific criminal acts such as serial murder are caused by a culture of violence. Cases of abused children later murdering their own parents have risen over the years (Halladay, 2007). Contemporarily, numerous television programs are produced across the globe. The mass media broadcasts these programs with the intention of entertaining its viewers. Pointless violence is depicted in most of these movies and videos. Most rock star entertainers use weapons such as hammers, guns, swords, bows and arrows. These and more materials broadcasted on television connote the acceptance of violence passively by the world. Its effects may not be visible at first but with the gradual watching and practicing, the impacts start manifesting themselves. This is according to a recent study carried out by one study children’s’ TV program by a senate committee. The same media broadcast live experiences of violence such as political violence, labor relations, and families, racial and ethnic relations. Programs that could influence violence among people in the society should be illegalized. Such programs, if they must be aired, should not be available for children’s’ viewing. This could be achieved by airing them late at night when they are asleep and ensuring that such material is not abundant and easily accessible over the Internet. Parents should also play a role in ensuring that their children are asleep by that time and keep them away from gadgets that may espouse access to such programs. Effects of Serial Killers and Killings Every human being has a specific role to play in the world as long as he or she is alive. Different people have different carriers and each one of them is essential in the development of any family, community, nation and the world at large. There has been a significant loss of important people in the world due to serial killings (Simon, 2012). There have been killings of famous people that have actually caused governments fortunes. Others were so close to revealing some truths that would have been helpful and maybe helped in reducing crimes but end up dying before releasing it. Children whose parents have been murdered are left behind with no one to take care of them. They are left orphans; sometimes, potential professionals end up getting wasted in the streets. These children lack access to proper education, increasing levels of illiteracy among people in that particular nation (Catherine & David, 2014). Killings of loved ones cause bitterness, which leads to desire for revenge. During the revenge, many innocent people end up getting hurt. Killings create fear and anxiety among members of the public who are the easy target for these killers. In cases where a victim is raped or sodomized and the serial killer does not succeed in killing them, this remains as an emotional torture for a very long time, which could also turn them into other serial killers (Laptoscky, 2010). If sufficient counseling is not given then some victims end up being mentally challenged (Mitchell, 2011). Increased levels of serial killings lead to lack of faith in the government for failing to protect its subjects in the best way. The government lacks support hence its stability is at stake. On the positive extreme, serial killers such as Ted Kaczynski, a graduate of Harvard University, changed the world positively. He did this after making homemade bombs and sending them as a parcel to government officials. This made people more cautious and thought more of their safety when receiving parcels (Mitchelle, 2011). This was not the case before as not so many would actually think that a simple parcel would espouse the killings of many individuals. He also changed the thinking of many as prior to this everybody though Harvard produced graduates who would positively impact society. People now know better than to trust anyone that comes around in the name of being a graduate from Harvard and other universities. Conclusion Numerous theories attempt to explain what makes a serial killer and why they really do it but none of them is comforting enough. Attributing these acts to having bad parents and not being brought up in a friendly environment is a bit lame. Many people are brought up by parents who abused them continuously and cared less about them but still become significant people in the society. Growing up in such environments as a cause to being evil is just an excuse. A person has the liberty to be different from everyone else, choosing to go along with the violent wicked crowd or go against them. They should be judged and sentenced just like any other criminal (Laptoscky, 2010). On the other hand, a child who grows in this kind of an environment does not stand as great chance of being productive in society as that one who grows in a friendly environment. Everyone responsible for a child’s upbringing; whether the parent, guardian, teachers, grandparents or friends, should strive to provide the best a child needs to be that figure that everyone adores. A child that turns out to be a serial killer owing to poor upbringing and an unfriendly environment is himself a victim. This should however not mean that anyone should try to explain and justify such abhorrent behavior. The evil that exists in the world cannot be ignored, whether it is caused by nature or nurture. It is everyone’s moral duty to understand evil even though most people flinch from doing so. References Catherine & David Birnie. (2014). Serial Killers Around the World: The Global Dimensions of Serial Murder, 131-149. Frakes, J. (2008,). Abuse case leads to murder case. Courier journal, 157 (47) , 1. Halladay, J. (2007). Boy charged with murdering father. Courier journal, 5 (1), 5. Laptosky J. (2010), Protecting the Cloak and Dagger with an illusory Shield, Law Journal, 62(2) Mitchelle O. (2011) Serial Killers and affect on Society. New York: Chelsea House. Simon B. (2012) Zero Degrees of Empathy, Penguin Books Ltd. Read More