Myra Munsley Research Paper

There are a variety of theories within crime and psychology, and a multitude can be applied to the never-ending list of infamous serial killers, as well as newly developing ones. Myra Hindley is the most notorious female serial killer in the history of Britain. Her past experiences and actions reveal how she was nurtured into becoming a hardcore killer. I will be covering her from her childhood well into her adulthood, and thus what lead her to pursue her deadly career. Of the many theories that can be applied to killers, I will be applying the theory of psychopathy and the differential-association reinforcement theory. Many of Myra’s actions and behaviors indicate and fill the symptoms and requirements one must have to be diagnosed with either

Myra is not an exception to either. Her heinous crimes absolutely categorize her and place her among the worst of the worst. She became known as The Moors Murderer due to where her crimes took place, and was deemed the most infamous female serial killer in Britain for a reason. She had no qualms of committing her murders and assisting her callous lover with his violent demands and expectations. She was groomed by him to fear nothing and everything at the same time. Myra was vulnerable in a sense that she was so corrupted and abused by her lover, that she could not and would not refuse any of his demands. She feared him, but did not fear aiding and going through with his torturous plans for their

Much of these symptoms were due to her environment, the people she was surrounded by, and her own cruel intentions. Psychopathy is a criminalistic and psychological theory that was developed by German psychiatrists, and means quite literally, “sick mind.” There are a multitude of symptoms that a person can have to be labeled a psychopath. Myra Hindley presented some of these symptoms throughout the entirety of her life, therefore making it quite easy to deem her as a psychopath. There are two types of psychopathy, primary and secondary (Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995). These two types go hand in hand, sharing similar symptoms. Primary psychopathy includes characteristics such as impulsivity, hostility, aggression and external confidence and low anxiety , whereas secondary psychopathy presents more introverted characteristics, such as high anxiety, moodiness and surliness (APQ: Blackburn & Fawcett, 1999). Myra Hindley presented primary psychopathic characteristics such as a lack of empathy, strong aggression, and confidence when it came to intimidating others. However, once she began seeing Ian Brady, her behavior began to shift and show signs of secondary psychopathy. Her family found her to become more secretive, moody, and submissive (Crime and Investigation, 2015). Myra’s crimes are what make her so interesting and terrifying. Studies and case facts show that Myra did