The Role Of Psychopathy In Serial Killers

Common in serial murder cases is the existence of psychopathy. Psychopathy causes a difficulty to create positive links on ones life with other individuals, as well as causing a lack of empathy in an individual (Blair). A famous quote from Ted Bundy describes psychopathy rather well. As stated by Bundy, “I don't feel guilty for anything. I feel sorry for people who feel guilt.” (Brogaard). In contrast to sociopathy, psychopathy is widely considered to be a heritable condition. Thus serial killers could possibly inhered the genetic disposition to have a lack of emotions that would otherwise inhibit homicidal actions, supporting the idea that serial murderers may be born rather than made. A study conducted in 2005 at the University of Minnesota
A failure to address any of the above problems is perhaps the most influential action mentioned. If addressed early enough, violent and sadistic tendencies can be overcome, as in the case of Beth Thomas, a child who was severely abused, physically, sexually and emotionally, through her early childhood. She was moved to a new home with model parents and began to exhibit behavior that was frightening to say the least. Beth would stab her pets, parents, and brother with push pins. She also attempted to murder her brother by repeatedly smashing his head into a concrete floor, causing him severe damage. She was also known to seek out of her room at night and repeatedly punch her brother as he slept. In a videotaped intervention with a psychologist, she stated that she wished to murder her entire family. During this interview she showed no signs or remorse, guilt, or feeling. She spoke with a chilling indifference. She was able to be confronted early enough that she has made a full recovery and, to this day, lives her life out as a typically functioning woman (lordcal123). While this is a deeply disturbing account of juvenile psychopathic tendencies, it demonstrates the benefit of early intervention and
Within his lifetime, Dahmer underwent a series of traumatic events such as a double hernia correction surgery, constant uprooting and moving to new places, and a traumatic divorce of his parents. Moreover, Dahmer was observed to have failed to connect with his parents, his primary caregivers. His family watched as he became more and more withdrawn from his home life. Dahmer also suffered a lack of social support system, as his social life was awkward at best; During his teen years, Dahmer had very few friends. This culmination of “symptoms” of serial murder can allow one to understand the role that they play within ones social development and subsequent adulthood.
While childhood arguably plays the most important role in the development of one who may become a serial killer, the effect of tenancies developed through adulthood cannot be ignored. These tenancies can be a further development of earlier childhood events, however they are unique in magnitude and appearance from said earlier events. Analyzing these correlates can allow one to better understand the role that they play in the catalysis of habits developing into serial