Serial Killers: Nature Vs. Nurture Theory

Mass murderers and serial killers are nothing new to today’s society. We learn about them in TV shows, books, research papers, in our classes, etc. Psychologists have spent decades trying to uncover the truth behind these killers’ madness. Serial killers vary in their behaviors, techniques, desires, mental illnesses and their personal lives. Have you ever heard of the Tamiami Trail Killer? Rory Conde was a prostitute killer, also known as the Tamiami Trail killer.

In this assignment the case study of Ted Bundy and how many biological, social and cognitive studies affect the perspective of criminals. In this case biological theories are our genetics and what we inherit from our parents and further on. These theories will be linked to Ted and if they affect how he performed the criminal acts.

The theory used in this journal pertains to the race, age, and gender of a serial killer; how they kill, the race, age, and gender of the victim; and how the killer lived before and during the killings. Before beginning his own study, Pakhomou (2004) found that “Serial (sexual killers are believed to be mostly white males in their twenties and thirties (at the time of the crimes) with above-average intelligence who commit intra-racial (within the same racial group) murders of strangers” (p. 220). Approximately half of them never had consensual sex with another adult, some joining the military, about half did not finish high school, and they had a history of burglary and sexual offenses prior to murders. There is no set reason or evidence that explains why people commit sexual homicide; however, there are many theories. One set factor that all researchers agree on is that “the most monstrous and most perverse sexual acts are usually committed by persons of sound mind, who are functionally rigid (in terms of a number of activities that they carry on), obsessed with fantasy and who have a determination to do what they want” (Pakhomou, 2004, p. 221).

Homicide, as a criminality, has a vast array of methods. Domestic homicide is a sub-class, yet it is one of the most customary categories of homicide throughout the world. This essay intends to find connections in relationships and homicidal tendencies in regards to both genders through specific traits adopted by biological backgrounds. Drawing from research entailing queries into why domestic homicide is the leading cause of manslaughter on a global scale. The characteristics of the basic psyche behind how these events occur can date back to the natural biological progression of the male and female predispositions.

Look around this school and think about exactly how many students are here daily. How

It can be difficult to understand why anyone would choose to murder another human being. However, not all serial killers have the same motivation behind their crimes. There are many different categories, and each tend to have different reason for why they choose to take the lives of others. The two main types of serial killers are organized and disorganized. From there, they can be broken down into even more specific categories, however, each category will usually fall under organized or disorganized. Classifying serial killers can be useful for law enforcement because it helps them to determine common traits shared among different types of killers. When trying to apprehend a killer, once you determine what type they are, you can use

Anyone has the capacity to become a serial killer due to the variability of one’s brain. If the prefrontal cortex is not functioning correctly (traumatic injury/event, genetics, etc.), the person can become a killer. The prefrontal cortex stops the violent impulses from becoming actions. Without a properly working prefrontal cortex, those violent impulses are carried out. The problem is that half of the serial killers have a different brain functionality, but the other half does not. That other half has the

The events these individuals experience when they’re young adolescents could be antecedents of their psychosis in adulthood. They’re multiple factors that must be considered when connecting harrowing childhood events and the material used when making a serial killer. Everyone experiences devasting life events, but they don’t necessarily shape anyone to become a serial killer. These individuals experience feelings of mistrust, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The timing and method in which the event occurred is imperative when trying to analyze how the event will affect the individual. If the individual cannot cope will stressful events such as divorce, sexual abuse, an unstable home life, and death it can lead to and cause abnormal behavior. Lashing out or substance abuse can be coping mechanisms of anyone experiencing trauma, but serial killers tend to have factors of biological and psychological deformities that also inhibit deviant behavior. A blend of substance abuse, mental illness, and environmental factors can produce the deviant behavior that can mold and shape a serial killer.

Criteria: Describe the criteria for a serial killer and what did the person do to qualify as a serial killer?

Why do people commit crimes? What goes through their minds before they actually commit a crime? These are questions asked from society to criminologist every time one decides they want to commit a crime. Criminologists has given us different crime causations, theories, to explain the answer to these questions. A theory is a speculation about how phenomena, behavior, or process are caused and what takes place after the cause is determined (Anderson, 2015). There are numerous theories that have evolved over time to explain why crimes are committed. These theories include anomie, strained, social control, and rational choice theory. In this research paper I will be focusing on rational choice theory. Majority of these theories focus on a macro-level, which is the largest, meanwhile some focus on a micro-level, the smaller level, depending on the circumstances. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize how rational choice theory is integrate with different crimes. The crimes included are burglary, white collar crime, and murder.

One of the most debated topics throughout the world is nature versus nurture. When psychologists debate this topic, they are studying what influences a person’s personal development. Some say that a person’s nature influences personal development while others say a person’s nurture influences personal development. A lot of people spend time contemplating which one actually does the influencing but what some do not realize is that, perhaps, both nature and nurture help shape a person’s personal development. One topic that comes up quite often is whether or not a person is born a criminal. Today, there are proven facts that people who have parents that are criminals have a high chance of becoming criminals themselves. Not only can people become criminals because of their family but they can also become criminals because of the environment that they surround themselves in. This is where nature versus nurture comes into play.

According to Siegel (2015), trait theory is the view that criminality is a product of abnormal biological or psychological traits which can be subdivided into two major categories: those that stress biological makeup and those that stress psychological functioning (p. 109). Biological trait theories includes four different conditions: biochemical, neurophysiological, genetic, and evolutionary. Biochemical factors will include diet, hypoglycemia, hormonal influences, premenstrual syndrome, lead exposure, and environmental contaminants. Neurophysiological factors will include brain structure, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, brain chemistry, and arousal theory. Genetic causes could stem from parental deviance, adoption studies, and

One psychology debate that remains in today's world is the argument between nature and nurture. Scientists who study behaviors, like psychologists or sociologists, are always arguing about the topic of nature and nurture. Whether nature or nurture plays a more significant role in terms of forming us. Our personality is influenced by many factors in our life, such as the environment or the inherited genes. Some people believe that genes play a bigger part in the formation of our mental traits, such as personality. However, other people argue that nurture factor is an important factor too. There are many factors that are affected by environment and gene. One of those is our behavior of aggression

A serial killer is defined as a “person who murders three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a “cooling off” period between each murder, which whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification.” (University, n.d) Many times serial murders go unsolved and other times it takes decades to unravel. According to the FBI there is no set profile of a serial killer, because they can come in all sizes, ages, shapes, colors and groups. (Welch, 2011) They tend to operate within their comfort zone, which is there area where they work, live or they have relative’s homes. (Roberts, 2011)

Criminal behaviour has always been an interest for psychologists, for they could never quite come to a conclusion between nature and nurture. Research concerning this topic has been organized for many years and due to the never ending debate, is still being conducted. I have decided to read and write about this myself, for I was genuinely curious about the matter and wanted to be a part of the research, as I felt responsible to do so. I believe that in order to stop something, it must be discussed and scrutinized. What effects do genes have on criminal behaviour, why do peer pressure and habitat influence a person to commit crimes and are men really more violent than women? My paper aims to discuss the three different factors of criminal behaviour, what causes it and why. My essay will examine and focus mainly on the genetic makeup of a person, the environment in which they are raised in and gender differences.