What is a serial killer? By definition, a serial killer is “A person who murders 3 or more people in a period over a month, with at least some “cooling-off” time between each murder” (Psychology Today 1). Many tend to think serial killers are legally insane when few actually are and the majority of them show signs of psychopathy. There is so much more to serial killers than most people think. Serial killers exhibit psychopathic tendencies such as lack of empathy and lack of remorse that develop from childhood trauma. Although serial killers lack empathy, they are able to distinguish right from wrong, yet continually choose to murder. According to the journal, Psychology Today, Scott Bonn claims, “Their understanding of right and wrong do nothing to impede their crimes” (1). This indicates that they understand what they are doing is wrong but there's something in there that just completely ignores that understanding. This matters because it also shows how not every serial killer is legally insane. …show more content…
The author states, “A number of studies have focused on some of the worst well known cases of serial murder and serial killers who have reported child abuse in their history including John Wayne Gacy, Gary Ridgeway, and Ed Gein (Guy 1). This indicates that it’s not rare for a serial killer to have had childhood problems in the past and it’s actually quite common. These life experiences shape the way their brain is formed especially during childhood. Another article talks about how Jeffery Dahmer was a lonely teenager with no friends who had been neglected throughout his life (Breitowich 1). This means one of the most famous serial killers suffered neglect throughout their childhood which turned into a feeling of loneliness that continued on into later years. This shows value because childhood trauma can lead to antisocial behavior later on and prevents them from developing other