1. Based on the video and Psychiatrist Park Deitz’s statements, could Richard Kuklinski be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder? How so? What diagnostic criteria does he meet?
Kuklinski could be diagnosed with APD because he fits at least three of the criteria.
During his interview Kuklinski confessed that he could have possibly killed at least three-hundred people. His continuous murders fits the first criteria for APD which is a failure to conform to norms and laws. Kuklinski fits the third criteria because his murders were often on impulse before he was hired by the mob. The fourth and fifth measures for APD are irritability/aggressiveness and the disregard for the safety of others. From his stories his irritability led to extreme
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Use the Richard Kuklinski case to illustrate how the biological AND sociological perspective can explain his criminal behavior(e.g. serial killing) Draw on information learned in class(including video clip)
In the interview with Kuklinski, his story about his father having aggressive tendencies was a trait passed that was passed down to Kuklinski. The aggression also intensified from the abuse delivered from both his mother and his father. When Kuklinski was young he was in continuous fear of the abuse. His fear released a constant flow of cortisol which can prune the brain reducing its size. This may affect the amygdala which controls aggression.
3. Based on the information covered in the lecture on “Explaining Serial Killers” what do YOU think led to Richard Kuklinski becoming a serial killer? Be very detailed in your response (Note: this question is an opinion piece, but your answer must reflect information learned from course materials).
I believe Richard Kuklinski murdered the hundreds of people because of the inherited biological aggression and environmental conditioning to be hostile towards others. His aggression came from his father who was a dominant figure in the household and often beat Kuklinski driving him to be in a constant state of fear. His mother was not much different and also hit him. Kuklinski was surrounded by hate and aggression. I believe aggressive behavior is in his genes, but his parents taught him to aggressive as well by the constant abuse