Causes Of Serial Killers

A serial killer by definition, is a person who murders more than two people over a certain span of time, usually following a foreseeable pattern (Brogaard). For example, Jeffrey Dahmer, Myra Hidley, and H. H. Holmes are all considered serial killers for their gruesome murders. Although every murderer has different motives behind their crimes, most serial killers tend to kill because they had a rough childhood past and or have psychological issues. There are signs people may show which involve the commencing of their psychopathic emotions that may lead to becoming unmerciful killers. Future mass murders may be prevented by taking individuals with early signs of becoming a serial killer to a psychiatrist, and getting them help.

Every serial

Although, some killers like Jeffrey Dahmer had a stable childhood, others did not have the same experiences as children. "During a child's development...learns about love, trust, empathy and basic rules about how to interact with other human beings" (Freeman), some killers as children were neglected or abused which could have also impacted them severely, but that does not mean everyone becomes mass murderers if they suffered as kids. Psychological issues and brain injuries are also possible reasons as to why people commit acts of murder. People automatically assume if someone is committing morally wrong act, they must be insane. However, some serial killers are people with an antisocial disorder otherwise known as psychopaths. Psychopaths suffer from lack of empathy, go against social norms, and exceptionally hostile. These people do not have moral sense, so their conscience will not intervene when they commit an unethical crime. Similar to mental problems, brain damage can make a person lose a sense of control and reason caused by damage to frontal lobe, the hypothalamus and the limbic system (Woollaston). Serial killers do not have remorse or morals, therefore they do not feel regret to be taking a human being's

Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child, Dahmer lived a happy life until he turned 4, where he got surgery to correct a double hernia. Afterwards, he was never the same. He became distant from his family and the outside world. By the time he became a teenage, Dahmer was antisocial and overall disinterested in anything. At the age of 14, Dahmer's marriage started falling apart, and only a few year afterwards divorced which is around the time, Dahmer states that his necrophilia and murderous tendencies begun (Biography.com Editors). Dahmer states that his “...motive was to completely control a person and to keep them with me as long as possible”