Criminal Justice: Behavioral Science on Serial Killers
People have different ways to think, act, and even walk. If one begins to know a person, a pattern in train of thought begins to emerge. A Behavioral Scientist studies certain traits and behavioral patterns in people. Law enforcement uses this as a tactic to stop dangerous predators such as a serial killer. In this essay I will be discussing criminal actions in relation to serial killers. I hope to help you understand serial killers, their actions, thoughts, and behaviors and possibly why they kill.
Deep within the criminal mind and psyche, there is physiological reasoning behind the actions the serial killer is compelled to commit. A criminal will leave a pattern or signature behind which helps a crime scene investigator analyze for information regarding the crime. The way a person leaves a crime scene, the way a person kills, reveals a lot about the killer. A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people with what is called a “cooling off” period between each murder and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification. One hypothesis is that all serial killers suffer from some form of Antisocial Personality Disorder. They are usually not psychotic, and therefore may appear to be quite normal and very charming.
Serial Killers tend to target more women than men, and kill strangers more than family or acquaintances. This as opposed to single-homicide offenders, who tend to kill men and women equally, while killing friends and family more often.
Serial murderer’s killings are often sexually motivated. The sexual motivation supports the idea that serial murderers tend to have specific criteria and specific sexual interests that motivate their selection of certain victims. This victim selection process sets serial murderers apart from other types of killers.
There are many categories of serial killers and they can be categorized into four major groups:...