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Berit Brogaard The Making Of A Serial Killer Summary

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“The Making of a Serial Killer” by Berit Brogaard addresses the topic of why and how psychopaths behave the way they do. Brogaard defines a psychopath as, “A callous, exploitive individual with blunted emotions, impulsive inclinations and an inability to feel guilt or remorse.” Genetics, unusual brain connections, and social environments are among a few factors that affect these tendencies in psychopaths. Brogaard explains throughout the article that within the psychopath's mind, they lack social traits and emotional connections that the average human has. Although there are many different probable reasons behind these mental issues, Brogaard claims the causes of psychopathy still remains a mystery. The first main aspect that the author approaches is brain connectivity and genetic. The author approaches this topic with strong research examples and facts which provide a verifying source for the content. Brogaard cites several different studies throughout the article such as a study at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. By using others research and data, this leads me to trust the information given. The main points are valid based on my previous knowledge of this topic and the facts that Brogaard offers. …show more content…

Brogaard includes many facts, the organization of the article is not as clear as it could be. Amongst the statistics and quotes, there are contradicting claims that confused me. At one point Brogaard states, “Social factors have some (even if only small) role to play in generating psychopathy. But after many years of investigating the minds of psychopaths, researchers have been unable to find any factors that could contribute to the development of psychopathic traits.” This claim confuses me in itself because if researchers haven't found any solid factors that contribute to these traits, then why were the social factors included in the first place along with examples of social factors

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The video about Tommy Lynn Sells is an interesting investigation into the brain of a serial killer. In the video, Dr. Adrian Raine discussed new research which suggests that killers have a genetic disposition to murder. The doctor explained how the brains of killers have structural impairment to the amygdala, which is involved in the generation of emotion, hence many serial killers and psychopaths lack conscience, guilt and remorse. Serial killers also do not have normal feelings of revulsion or disgust. Most interesting to me, the doctor described how it is a combination of biology and environmental factors that raise the odds of becoming a violent criminal offender.

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Jeffrey Dahmer’s behaviors were “primary unconscious feelings of hate that he had channeled into a sadistic programmed destruction of 17 young men” (Jentzen et al. 2). Jeffrey Dahmer's neglected childhood featuring abuse, loneliness and lack of quality interactions with his parents led him to becoming a murderer/sociopath which is shown thorough the social learning theory and social control theory. Dahmer’s story is interesting because once he was arrested, he explained how he was glad to finally be caught. Dahmer’s murders were out of compulsion, as a young boy he used to walk around the woods looking for dead animals that he would dissect, he was really interested in seeing what was inside of them. “Although he was rarely interested in anything,

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Sara Whobrey Professor McCrady English 102 24 January, 2023 The Psychopathy Behind the Columbine Killer, Eric Harris Psychopaths are people who are born unable to feel a strong emotion of humans, empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and feel for others and their feelings. Lack of empathy is only one trait of a psychopath. According to Crego and Widiger, the trait most attributed to psychopathy are antagonism, manipulativeness, dishonesty, and callousness. (Crego and Widiger 1.)

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Statistics show that serial killers in the United States often kill for fun and financial gains. (Serial Killer) In class we have been learning about serial killers and the psychological disorders that cause them to carry out the murders they commit. Andrea Yates mental stability and religious views altered her ability of life and caused five young children to lose their lives

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Robert Andrew Berdella also known as Bob was an american citizens of kansas city, missouri who happened to be a serial killer, who killed, raped, and tortured at least 6 young men between the time span of 1984 and 1987. Berdella’s early life, robert was apart of the kansas city art institute from the year 1967 to 1969. He had become convicted during this time but he had received a suspended sentence for selling amphetamines then, later arrested for the illegal possession of marijuana and LSD but charges were dropped because they didn't have a lot of evidence. Berdella owned a novelty shop on the westport flea market, he worked as a chef for work then later eventually opened a restaurant called Bob’s Bazaar Bizarre and catered to occult type tastes. He bought a house in 1969 on 4315 Charlotte which later will be where all of the crimes took place.

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Traits of psychopaths: Superficial charm, pathological lying, lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, unrealistic goals, early behavioral problems, a feeling of being above the law. One psychopath that sticks out in U.S history is H.H Holmes. If you have ever heard of the “Murder Castle” then you know of him. Dr. H.H. Holmes is considered America's first serial killer. The number of victims is estimated to be 27, and later discoveries of corpses revealed as many as 200.

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However, a serial killer suffering from psychopathy cannot control his or her impulses, identify with others and feel empathy, and cannot conform his or her behavior to social norms. Thus, proving he or she cannot possibly be completely competent and responsible for their actions, no matter how heinous” (Gay). However, there is a difference between someone diagnosed with psychopathy and someone with anti-social personality disorder. “Unlike serial killers with psychopathy, those with anti-social personality disorder should not be allowed to plead guilty by reason of insanity. They lack empathy but otherwise understand what they are doing.

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John Steinbeck, perhaps one of the most thoughtful and sophisticated writers thus far, had a lasting career of many great novels ranging from 1929 to 1961. He contributed greatly to the literary movements of modernism and naturalism, although most of his novels fall into the movement of modernism. Steinbeck explored the lives of characters who led ordinary lives, just like the people who were living at the time. In his novel, East of Eden, Steinbeck delves into the lives of a complicated family across its generation. He explores the battles between good and evil and most interestingly, within this battle of good and evil, he picks apart the influence of the subconscious and unconscious mind on behavior, aligning with the similar theme in the

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Psychopathy is thought to be caused by a mixture of genetic and chemical imbalances. Psychopaths do not have the proper neurological frameworks to develop a sense of morality and ethics. Psychopaths also have traits the rest of society does not typically have. A psychopath usually has a grandiose self-worth. They think very highly of themselves, to the point that they are often seen as arrogant and cocky.

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From the macrosociological perspective and applying strain theory, his difficulty achieving and attaining typical cultural goals of his time left him otherwise unbound by them, and with alcohol to escape into, didn’t feel the pressures of society to complete them. This lack of pressure left the door to deviance wide open, and allowed him to murder 17 men and rape many more. Utilizing the microsociological perspective via control theory, the lack of external forces in his life through borderline neglectful parents, superficial connection to peers, and no fear of prosecution for his crimes, in addition to a lack of self-control. Of course, these factors weren’t apparent as these events were occurring, and no specific cause or traits can be attributed exclusively to serial killers, but using the sociological perspective can at least help explain why these atrocious crimes

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Introduction I. Look around this school and think about exactly how many students are here daily. How would you feel if I told you that one out of every twenty five people are sociopaths(Pratt 2006).The fact of the matter is that not everyone who is a sociopath is a serial killer but oddly enough it has been proven that all serial killers are sociopaths. II. I have chosen serial killers that I found intriguing and that I thought not many people would know a lot about.

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Are serial killers born or are they a product of their environment and upbringing? Many researchers suppose that humans are born with a gene, or that certain developments in the brain during their youth cause them to become serial killers. To simply put it, no one is born evil and as much as researchers want to believe that we are born with a gene or something like a lesion in our brain causes us to be evil, there is no solid evidence to back this up. A person isn't born a sociopath or the modern terminology used, psychopathic. With the help of Psychopathy, Sociopathy and Crime, by David T. Lykken, No One Is Born A Serial Killer!

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Thus, the inability to emotions could be related to what has been observed repeatedly: that psychopaths show less activity in the left amygdala, which would also help to explain that these subjects feel less fear in the presence of threatening stimuli, and who have more difficulty remembering anxiety or fear that are associated with negative experiences. However, it is not clear to what extent it is necessary for the environment to enhance this tendency towards psychopathy. There are many studies that indicate that cruelty and abuse are part of the children's baggage of psychopaths. Some of the best-known serial killers were treated very harshly, with violence and arbitrariness, when they were children. The authors who highlight the existence of mistreatment in the cruel murderers and psychopaths explain that it is the mental illness and the injuries produced by the brutal treatment that lies behind the criminal psychopath.

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) This means that they aren 't able to feel much empathy causing them to commit such violent crimes (Keysers, 2013). Conclusion: Review: Since we established that psychopath have certain characteristic or traits such as speech pattern, abnormal sexual behavior and lack of emotional control. You will now be able to identify a psychopath End-Statement

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