How does a person become a serial killer?

Question

Someone else just asked a Q about serial killers, so it sparked my curiosity.. have any of you done research about this? What is the psychology of one? Does something in their brain/thinking slowly warp over time, until they think with only a serial killers thoughts? Do they have varying personalities and sometimes they are normal and other times serial killers? Between serial killers, is there any similarities in background or life experiences before they become serial killers? Does everyone have the possibility of becoming a serial killer, just some never go that way because they have different life experiences?

Answer 1

I have done alot of research on serial killers (my bookshelves are filled with all sorts of books on the subject) Let me give you a very general overview: Serial killers can come from any type of backround, however, alot of them come from homes where the mother is overbearing and the father is either absent or abusive. Some are highly intelligent. Some torture animals when young and set fire to things. Biological explanations can include head injury or chemical imbalances. Serial killers have fantasies that become intense and they need to act out these fantasies. A serial killer is defined as such if they have killed three or more people over an extended period of time. I could go on and on.

Answer 2

This is usually associated with a traumatic childhood, bed-wetting, cruelty to small animals, and setting fires.
A profile rarely if ever helps to catch a serial murderer, but after the person is caught, s/he will fit the profile pretty well.
There is always a large sexual component in serial killings.
The killings usually become more frequent and more sadistic as the killer escalates.
And yes, there have been female serial killers.
It has been estimated that there may be as many as thirty five such people in the USA at any given time. Personally, I think this estimate is far too high.
Do not confuse serial killers with mass murderers. They may kill several people, but all at at one time.

Answer 3

I have done a lot of research on serial killers and I believe around 40% of people have the potential of becoming a serial killer. Serial killers do not always come from bad up bringing. Several mental illnesses contribute to a serial killer. -Bi-Polar disorder is the most common- Clinical depression is another common disorder that may contribute to creating a serial killer if left untreated. Thematic exsperance is another big deciding factor in who may become a serial killer. Lets take for example a guy falls in love with a woman. They get married and have a perfect life. She dies from cancer the man is heart broken-Depressed and he finally snaps and kills a women who look like his wife. Than he gets satisfaction from that so he continues to do this when he is depressed. The anti authority type of killer may do it to prove to law enforcement that he is smarter than them. The publicity killer will do it for the fame and the thrill of seeing his work on the television or online. The rejected-will target people in the same category as the people who rejected him. The adrenalin killer- Will kill on impulse to have a rush. The religious killer will ether kill religious people or kill people he views as going agents his religious beliefs. Then tere is the copy cat killers who fallow other killers paters. There are no typical killers each one has a unique reason for it.

Answer 4

well in your question you mention several different traits of personalities. In general for someone with serial killer intentions or killing intentions, it is a little more complicated then just thinking about killing a person or doing it. I think it is more to do with abnormal chromosones at birth. The first 22 chromosones are suppose to be identical to each other. (the dna strands).
But with an abnormalilty i.e. fragile x, you run into different levels of impairment. A person can be very normal and as they develop with age the gene as well matures. So at that given time which you would never know when, is when it starts to show itself.
Hope this helps you some.

Answer 5

Well there are a few facts that help you become a serial killer: 1. The majority are single, white males. However, there are scores of recorded cases of non-Caucasian serial killers, such as Coral Watts, Wayne Williams, Timothy Spencer, Charles Ng, Angel Maturino Reséndiz, Richard Ramirez, George Russell, and serial snipers John Muhammad and Lee Malvo. 2. They are often intelligent, with IQs in the "bright normal" range. 3. Often they have trouble staying employed. Usually they have menial jobs as well. 4. They tend to come from unstable families. 5. As children, they are typically abandoned by their fathers and raised by domineering mothers. 6. Their families often have criminal, psychiatric and alcoholic histories. 7. They were often abused—emotionally, physically and/or sexually—by a family member. 8. They have high rates of suicide attempts. 9. From an early age, many are intensely interested in voyeurism, fetishism, and sadomasochistic pornography. 10. More than 60 percent wet their beds beyond the age of 12. 11. Many are fascinated with fire starting. 12. They are involved in sadistic activity or torturing small animals.

Answer 6

Something snaps. People become killers when they become so frustrated and the rage inside them becomes so intense that they finally take out their hurt on people. Serial Killers usually feel incapable of dealing with everyday situations. They may have deep seated issues with authority and feel that they have been badly treated or treated unfairly. This leads to a growing anger which may manifest itself in the act of killing the type of person who they feel has caused them trouble - who is the source of their problems. They may start with animals and find that the act of killing gives them a sense of power, which they often don't have and gives them relief. That relief is short lived and leads to further killings. Moving from animals to humans quite often happens. Not all people who have the same experience as serial killers will become killers themselves. They are all, to some degree, mental ill but some get treatment other don't. Some will find other ways of dealing with their feelings of inadequacy.

Answer 7

The simplest answer I can come up with is to kill a bunch of people, one or more at a time, but in a series of episodes spaced apart. Why would you want to become a serial killer? If you are that bored, move. Much easier.

Answer 8

I am no expert but I have read up alot on the subject and seen many movies and documentaries on this subject. Alot of it has to do with what has happened to the person in their childhood. No matter what anyone says, family dynamics have alot to do with how a child will turn out. Severe abuse in childhood will manifest serial killers in many cases among other emotional problems in adulthood. Short answer here, but hope it helps.

Answer 9

I think their childhoods have alot to do with the way they become,i'm not saying thats the case with everyone who has a bad upbringing but some of the serial killers i've read about had terrible parents and screwed them up bad.

Answer 10

I think you're right about something: there is a common personality type and makeup, and they can go different ways or the serial killer way if they have this.