Serial killers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Serial killers - Research Paper Example The paper details a literature review of serial killers and an overview on prevention and control strategies for the problem of serial killers. The paper recognizes the centrality of the premise that a serial murderers acts mirror a psychological problem from which patterns can be derived. The psychological assessment of crime scene is pertinent to the development of a profile. The paper concludes the dependence on narrow definitions; creation of typologies based on the outlined definitions, and questionable data gathering may impede or distort the analysis of serial killers. Part I Introduction Empirical evidence indicates that roughly 20% of the murders within the United States yearly may be perpetrated by serial killers; nevertheless, other data sources challenge that the share of serial killers accounted for no more than 300-400 murders every year. A typology of serial killers features: visionary serial killer, who feel impelled to perpetrate murders by visions; mission oriented killer who perceive that it to be their mission in life to kill certain forms of people; hedonistic serial killer who kill for the pure adventure and joy of it; and, power/control killer who derives more satisfaction from exercising absolute power over his or her victims, and sexual activity  may be  involved. ... The question on what makes a serial killer remain widely debated in academic circles. Some people argue that serial killers  may be  genetically pre-disposed while others think that such behavior emanates from dysfunctional environments. Researchers estimate that 60% of what makes an individual a serial killer is biological while the remaining 40% can be linked to the environment. In the 1960s, J. M. MacDonald, psychologists, highlighted that a majority of future serial killers manifested warning signs during childhood including excessive cruelty to animals, as well as bed-wetting during childhood (Muller, 2000). Furthermore, majority of the serial killers manifest wild fantasies on murder from childhood into adulthood and have a demeanor typified by -self-esteem and experiences of sexual dysfunction. Theoretical background Researchers have instituted methods to profile serial killers, as well as other violent offenders via extensive interviewing and formal psychological testing of known killers. In the U.S., African Americans are over-represented among serial killer compared to their proportion of the American population. Some people argue that African Americans serial killers fail to attain the notoriety of their white counterparts since the media tends to overlook them. Females usually kill for instrument reasons or out of twisted notions of mercy (Mitchell & Aamodt, 2005). Some of the questionable assumptions that drive research in serial killer encompass notions that serial killers are male, notion that killings are not essentially for profit, the notion that victims are stranger, and the notion that the victims are powerless. Serial