Serial Killer Research Papers Samples For Students

The definition of serial killers is highly debatable as some find the need to distinguish them from mass murderers. However, there are distinguishable features that allow professionals to profile serial killers to be calculating, detail oriented and precise killers (Waller, 2010) making them more distinct as compared to other killers and murderers. They are not impulsive killers but rather they plan their next move and carefully select their victims. Profiling series killers led the police authorities to categorize them into four types as follows: mission oriented type, hedonistic type, visionary type, and power/control type. In an attempt to understand ...

Serial killer in modern classification is a killer that during each episode has committed more than three murders without an obvious motive. Although, according to the classification of FBI the determination of serial murder is different and begins from two or more kills that may be committed by one or more killers. Typically between episodes of murders there is a so-called period of cooling emotions and psychological satisfaction of killer. It is believed that most serial killers are antisocial psychological disorders treated with indifference to the suffering of others and contempt for the public morals, but very rarely suffer from distinct ...

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Introduction
The development of science and technology over the last several decades has made crime investigation easier. Agencies like FBI today can identify the true assailant more authentically and quickly with the help of forensic science. It appears that explosive advancements in the area of forensic science have totally changed the way crime investigators approach case enquiry. Prior to the broader development of forensic science, investigation officers were forced to rely increasingly on situational evidences and physical torture to prove the involvement of a suspect in crime. Under such circumstances, fundamental human rights were often ...

Socialization is the process in which a person interacts with people in the society and forms relationships with them. Criminological and sociological theories, including the social strain theory, explain crime in terms of a person's social relationships. What sets Robert Agnew’s strain theory apart is that it specifically focuses on negative social relationships, in which people are not treated as they want to be treated, thus promoting and leading to criminal and deviant behavior. According to strain theory, people adopt criminal and deviant behavior when others prevent them from achieving positively valued goals/stimuli. The focus of the strain theory was ...

The media plays a crucial role in society by reporting some of the heinous crimes that a number of individuals perpetrate. They might use the articles of criminal activities to inform, warn or report current stories. This essay will use and analyze two crime reports from The Guardian. These include an article on assault charges faced by a top entrepreneur in the country and the article of a notorious serial killer who has killed about 25 women over a span of two decades. Behavior theory and low self-control theory will explain the first article while mental illness and naturalization ...

The influence of media on criminals and killers has been oft-publicized; regardless of the positions people take on the extent to which film, television and other mass media influences our collective unconscious, it is clear that certain genres or portrayals of sex and violence in popular culture heavily influence our personalities, attitudes and preferences (Seltzer 2007). To that end, the exploration of these types of media is an essential part of exploring the psychology of the killer, serial or otherwise. For the past century, film has become an important part of our new cultural mythology; movie characters become our ...

Abstract

The psychology of a serial killer will be the subject of discussion in this paper. Emphasis would be placed on the events which occurred in their childhood (child neglect), their psychopathic behavior and the influence of brain disorders in pushing them towards violence.

Besides their callous brutality, serial killers are also renowned for their deception. Most of them operate for years before authorities stumble upon a clue which uncovers their violent behavior. A majority of serial killers that have been uncovered were found in America. This is quite troubling and one wonders whether the unrivalled freedoms in this country have led ...

John Wayne Gacy had a troubled past and the events that occurred as a result of his choices on how to deal with his past are horrific to say the least. Gacy had a rough childhood to say the least. He was subject to multiple beatings by his father as was the rest of his family. His father was an alcoholic that seemed to become more of a bully than a father figure to his children. Gacy had a heart problem that made it difficult for him to form relationships with other children because he could not play with ...

Abstract

This paper addresses itself to the life of one, Gerard John Schaefer. It critically analyses his childhood experiences with a view of determining the nexus between his early experiences and his delinquent disposition during his adolescent stage of development through to his adulthood. To this end, it is premised on the hypothesis that there is a causal relationship between Schaefer’s childhood experiences and his delinquent tendencies later in life. As a result, this paper critically looks into his early life and various crimes committed by him both in his childhood through to his adulthood with lenses of Psychodynamic ...

In psychology, there are different psychological theories that have been proposed, researched and augmented by solid research. They provide the theoretical foundation of psychological phenomena. Psychology is anchored on five paradigms namely biogenic, psychoanalytic, behaviorist, humanist and cognitive. In this paper, the psychoanalytic paradigm is the center of focus. In essence, the paper highlights the life of the offender, Dennis Rader through the lenses of psychoanalytic paradigm. Dennis’s criminal behavior is accounted for by psychoanalytic paradigm. Psychology’s principal goal is to have a clear comprehension of individuals and groups, and the explanation of different phenomena.
Psychological principles ...

This paper discusses the role of Psychopathy Checklist Revised in providing an insight to the level of psychopathy in an individual. It first dissects the meaning of psychopathy and dissects what it entails. Upon giving a broad discussion of a comprehensive meaning of psychopathy, the piece goes ahead to give the link between psychopathy and crime. It settles on the life of Paul Kenneth Bernardo, an example of a psychopath whose life defines psychopathy at its best. The Canadian serial killer sent a wave of terror across the country through his cruel rapes, sexual assaults and murders. The serial killer worked together with ...

Criminal Law

Serial Killers
According to Hickey (2003, p. 420) the investigative difficulties with regard to the serial murder investigation is the lack of recognition of foreign cases. This is a common problem in the U.S. among their foreign investigators due to the inability to identify the motive of the accused, random victims, high geographic mobility of offenders and linkage blindness. Serial crime investigations often lead to criticism, public and media pressure for failure to provide a strong identification of the accused and weak crime linkage. The investigative tools and approaches used by law enforcement include media forensic DNA analysis, case linkage system ...

The 2009 superhero film Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder, takes place in an alternate version of 1985 in which Nixon has been elected a third term, superheroes have been banned from operating without the consent of the United States government, and the world is on the brink of nuclear destruction. In order to set up this world, and convey a lot of information about the politics and characters of the time, Snyder and co. created a nearly 6-minute long title sequence to the tune of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" that tells us everything we need to know about the ...

Introduction

The heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it. This is sometimes difficult to believe but a review of the life, charges and confessions made by Ted Bundy can confirm this to us that quote from the bible is correct. Psychological depression might actually be responsible for majority of the actions or it might be as a result of interest or joy being derived from someone else pain or discomfort. These views about the notorious American serial killer Ted Bundy could be confirmed by exploring different perspective of his life, and actions. Exploring all the issues surrounding the serial ...

The serial killer-thriller Se7en, released in 1995, depicts the search for a serial killer who is strategically murdering people according to the Seven Deadly Sins of man. Over the course of the film, the two protagonists, the detectives Mills and Somerset, wrestle with their own sense of right and wrong, while the serial killer John Doe unerringly goes about his own quest for justice in the world. There are many connections made between the way Somerset and John Doe look at their surroundings, as they are revealed to be different sides of the same coin.

There is a great deal of ...

ABSTRACT

Forensic psychology is a specialized area of psychology associated with the law. These professionals work in many aspects of the law, from working within the court as an expert witness or determining whether an offender is mentally capable of standing trial or not. Many years of study, research and earned degrees are needed in order to train and become a professional in this field. One of the most interesting aspects of the field is the opportunity to become a criminal profiler. While the career is different from the way it is presented in poplar media, profilers have played instrumental ...

Criminals have been committing crimes for many centuries. Crimes that stemmed from stealing, murder, rape, and abduction and many more as the years accumulated. Over many centuries people have been speculating theories as to why people commit crimes. The people normally were educated either in the criminal field or related field, and wanted to find out the answer to criminal behavior. The people or theorists believed certain reasons were what caused a person to commit crime. They knew those reasons had to not be prominent in everyone, because not everyone turned into criminals.
As the years have passed the ...

Abstract

The investigation teams, police, judges and courts rely strongly on the forensic medical evidence and use the evidence to build up their efforts. The prime aim is to punish the guilty while avoid connecting the innocent. Interpretation of forensic medical evidence and their role have significantly expanded through the justice system. Steve Wright was found guilty of killing five prostitutes and faces life in jail for the murders. The Ipswich Prostitute Murders made headlines not only in Britain but also caught the attention of Inernatiosnl media. The essay looks at how forensic science and the evidence collected helped to ...

Police crime control policies

Crime control is paramount for the economic development of any civilized society. The political stability of any nation is measured by the crime rate. Countries that have low crime rates are more attractive to investors and business leaders. The crime rate in the United States of America was high in the 1990s. The cities were controlled by criminal gangs and at times the fights between criminal gangs took place in the streets. The frequency of homicides was relatively high. The residential places were not spared from crime related violence. Law enforcement officers were criticized for being weaklings. The police ...

In her own way, Flannery O’Connor appears to have been notorious in literary circles for much the same reason as Tim Tebow’s isolation within the National Football League: her zeal for her faith caused others to view her with more than a bit of superstition. Patricia Highsmith, author of The Talented Mr. Ripley and other novels, tells a story when O’Connor was describing a knot that had a resemblance to the face of Jesus. After that comparison, Highsmith decided that she did not like O’Connor (Vafidis, web). However, for those who know O’Connor principally through her fiction, her ...

Hitler was smart, charismatic and evil. Those are deadly virtues for a man seeking a position for dictator. He used these skills to his advantage. He not only was smart, but he had the ability to create art. His paintings were rejected, and this ranged him. He did not like being rejected. Hitler showed all the signs of the classic narracistic traits behavior. He could pretend to care for others but in reality he did not give a care for them.
The faking empathy and loving he showed inspired his loyalty Nazis to follow him to the end of the earth. ...

Horror, as a genre of fiction, plays a very important part in the human experience. Through horror stories, mankind is allowed to experience fear in a safe environment. For us, fear is thrilling; the rush of endorphins that one feels when they are scared, and the relief that pours over us when the danger is gone, is something that many people chase over and over again. Horror is also important to allow us to face existing fears, and figure out why we are so frightened of them. In this way, horror helps us learn more about ourselves and how we work, and ...