Serial Killer Psychology

Introduction

Serial killers have been terrorizing communities and populations since the 1900s. Serial killers are often seen as ordinary citizens, such as the first known serial killer H.H. Holmes, who was a graduate of University of Michigan’s medical program (“H.H. Holmes”). While other serial killers, such as Ed Gein Circa, displayed extreme antisocial behaviors (Frese). But what qualities do serial killers posses that qualify them as mentally insane, and how do they contribute to the placement of a serial killer. Whether or not serial killers are mentally ill or deranged varies from study to study, and according to psychology professor Dr. Michael Aamodt at Radford University, “If you talk to 50 people who do research in this area, you’re

Social Perspective: Intelligence

The serial killers level of intelligence can be highly beneficial when considering an appropriate facility placement. Although not every serial killer has an unseeingly high IQ, the highest recorded serial killer IQ was 186 (Stebbins). Ed Kemper, IQ of 136, was imprisoned for the murder of his grandparents, but he was able to convince psychiatrists to release him after only serving five years. After his release, he went on to kill eight more people (Frese). IQ must be considered before placement is determined because, in cases like Ed Kemper, the IQ of the killer can be used as a weapon against the officials in charge of restraining the

But, solely considering the social lens, multiple conclusions can be made. Based on the researched information, a number of serial killers do suffer from some sort of personality disorder tend to be very intelligent, and seem as though they are ordinary people to those around them. Mental institutions would be the best placement for killers who suffer from a personality disorders because of the known treatments and medicines that can treat these disorders. But in all other cases, prisons seem to be the best placement for serial killers. Although serial killers may be highly intelligent and seem like everyday people to their neighbors, they are still guilty of the murder of more than one human being and should have to pay for that crime. It is also important to consider the possibility of killers in mental institutions not benefitting from treatments, which would have a great economic effect as well. Therefore, based on the social lens, serial killers should be placed be punished for their crimes and be placed in high security prisons, rather than mental