Are Serial Killers Born Or Made - 1885 Words

Are Serial Killers Born or Made? Are serial killers determined by nature or nurture – are they born? Or are they made? It is hypothesized that serial killers are made by the environment that they grow up in but that they all have a predisposition to sociopathic tendencies. This research paper aims to provide support for previous studies about the extent to which nature and nurture influence and determine the likelihood of a person becoming a serial killer. The term serial killer, as defined by Robert Ressler (1974), refers to a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic and predictable behaviour pattern. Commonly used terms like sociopath and psychopath are no longer†¦show more content†¦In the 1980s the very first functional brain scanning study of killers was carried out by British neuroscientist, Professor Adrian Raine. The Professor and his team scanned the brain of many killers and found that all the scans were quite similar (Appendix D); they then compared them to the brain scans of people who weren’t convicted murderers (Appendix E). These scans support Dr Richard Davidsons findings related to the anterior cingulated cortex, orbital frontal cortex, and amygdale. The results showed that serial killers appear to have brains which make them more prone to anger and rage and unable to control themselves (Davidson. 2000). Raine suggested that childhoo d abuse may have caused physical damage to the brain, which caused the subjects to be predisposed to violent tendencies, however, only a small proportion of those who had a terrible childhood grew up to become murderers. In 1993, a family from the Netherlands found that all the men had a history of violence. After 15 years of research, it was discovered that all the men lacked the same gene which produces an enzyme called monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) which regulates the levels of neurotransmitters involved in impulse control (n/a. 2015). Jim Fallon, a professor of psychiatry in California, discovered that there were many murderers in his family tree and so decided to have himself geneticallyShow MoreRelatedSerial Killers, Are They Born or Made?3551 Words   |  15 PagesResearch paper Serial Killers: Are They Born or Made? There are many theories as to why people become serial killers. Almost all of these concepts are associated with the Nature vs. Nurture theory. Are serial killers born with the need to kill, or is it something that they learn to long for as they grew up? Many believe that the nurture theory is the likely concept to believe; that serial killers are created from bad childhood experiences including being abused by their parents, or molested at anRead MoreSerial Killers: Are They Born Or Made?. There Are Multiple1230 Words   |  5 PagesSerial Killers: Are They Born or Made? There are multiple theories as to why or how a person can become a serial killer. A serial killer can be a person who murders at least three or more people over a long period of time (Ramsland). Are serial killers born with the need to kill or is it a result of a horrific childhood? These two concepts are associated with the nature vs. nurture theory. â€Å"People on the side of nurture are of the opinion that our environment determines who a person is and becomes†Read MoreEssay Are Serial Killers Born or Made?1560 Words   |  7 PagesEvidence that was gathered from books such as â€Å"Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers† and â€Å"Inside the Minds of Serial Killers,† both written by Kathertine Ramsland, provide information and evidence that killers are in fact made, not born. Some of the reasons that people believe that killers are made and not born are due to research by many psychiatrists on serial killers and mass murderers who are on death roe that have com mitted some of the most heinous crimes. One argument is that there is a set ofRead MoreSerial Killers1314 Words   |  6 Pages like serial killers, and what drives them to do what they do. Many scientists are still researching whether or not if serial killers are driven by the way they were raised or if it is a part of their genes. This literature review will analyze what people think about the nature versus nurture debate. It will talk about the nature side and the nurture side of the debate. What is a serial killer? Eric Hickey (2012) in â€Å"Serial Killers: Defining Serial Murder† defines what a serial killer is exactlyRead MoreA Serial Killers Characteristics Begin at Childhood800 Words   |  3 PagesChildhood Characteristic of Serial killers The basic definition of Serial Killers are that it is a group of people who’s work is just to kill, kill and kill innocent people over a longer period of time without being wedged or bunged. They are not like mass murderers, who may kill many people at one time - majority of the time because of circumstantial behavior. Serial Killers are completely a different from traditional or mass murderers they always make a proper plan and they are very specificRead MoreSerial Killer And Serial Killers Essay1171 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica has some of the most infamous serial killers who marked history, serial killers who once didn’t even think to harm any human being. Many people grow up differently from others, some people grow up in a safe environment surrounded with caring people and others grow up in a completely different environment being missed treated by others, therefore are serial killers made or born? A serial killer is defined as â€Å"a person who commits more than three murders over a period that spans more thanRead MoreWhat Makes A Person A Serial Killer? Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesWhat makes a person a Serial Killer?How are serial killers caused? Serial Killers are people who kill at least 3 people in separate events with a very little cooling off period between each kill. The kills are performed in a unique fashion and the the serial killer has something that they are known for called a signature.Serial Killers are frightening psychopaths because they don t show human emotions-empathy, conscience, or remorse.What makes a serial killer different then regular peopleRead More Serial Killers: Monsters or Mentally Ill Essay1571 Words   |  7 Pages Studies show that traits of a serial killer can be seen in a person at a very young age. Most warning signs go unnoticed which is why the growth of the killer continues. A thing such as animal cruelty is one of man y clues inside the growth of a serial killers mind â€Å"They often start out their careers by maiming, harming, and torturing small animals.† â€Å"In extreme cases, they have been known to spend hours inflicting a slow death on animals...this is a form of control that allows them the power toRead MoreSilence of the Lambs and Mr. Brooks Essay718 Words   |  3 Pages1 Juan Luna Park University Serial Killers as Heroes in Popular Culture LE 300J Ms. Silvia Kofler November 2, 2012 Unit 2: Week 2 - Reader Response - Assignment 1 A serial killer could be dining, sitting, or even living next to you at this very moment. Most killers offer little to no obvious clues that will lead anyone to detect their often secretive, undercover actions. I ask myself, â€Å"How can we be so naive to these types of people?† Serial killers amongst us are often well educatedRead MoreThe Minds Of Serial Killers1147 Words   |  5 Pagesdark mind of Jeffrey Dahmer, he murdered not in hatred, vengeance, or financial enrichment but on pure impulse and lust. Forensic psychoanalysts have picked apart the minds of serial killers to find answers as to what causes them to carry out such perverse acts. Many believe it is impervious for an innocent adolescent to be born with the capability to commit a heinous act suchlike murder. But how could we depraved humanity so much as to turn an innocent child into a homicidal lunatic? This theory has