Topic: Childhood Trauma
In a survey conducted by John Douglas and Robert Ressler, members of the FBI's BSU, 40% of serial killers reported being physically abused as children, while 70% reported being sexually abused. It has been found that abuse can actually alter the development of the brain, especially the areas of the cortex dealing with intelligence and emotion. If development does not occur correctly, the child is not able to feel empathy.

Do you believe it is a person's childhood that leads them to commit such horrendous crimes? or is it somehow engrained in their genetic make-up?

Topic: Red Flags
There are three so-called behavioral red flags that researchers have identified. They are known as the psychopathological triad: enuresis (bed-wetting), pyromania (firestarting), and sadism.
Enuresis: When the problem persists into puberty it is a sign of significant or dangerous emotional disturbance.
Pyromania: Arson is an intense pathological expression of anger and aggression.
Sadism: Usually in the form of animal torture, it acts as a "rehearsal" for the crimes the killer will later commit.

Quote by Jeffrey Dahmer "I found a dog and cut it open just to see what the insides looked like, and for some reason I thought it would be a fun prank to stick the head on a stake and set it out in the woods."

Topic: Legends
While doing my research I came across something I thought was really interesting. In a book entitled "The Serial Killer Files" by Harold Schechter it suggested that monsters like werewolves and vampires were created to help early America comprehend the violent acts of early serial killers. By classifying someone as a monster, it was easier to explain their actions. What do you think?

Topic: What is serial homicide?
In doing my research I found a number of different definitions for serial homicide.
FBI definition: "Three or more separate events with an emotional cooling-off period between homicides."
National Institute of Justice definition: "A series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone. The crimes occur over a period of time ranging from hours to years. Quite often the motive is psychological, and the offender's behavior and the physical evidence observed at the crime scenes will reflect sadistic sexual overtones."
Author Belea T. Keeney's definition: "The premeditated murder of three or more victims committed over time, in separate incidents, in a civilian context, with the murder activity being chosen by the offender."

These definitions all came from the book "Serial Murder" written by Robert W. Dolan. Which do you think is the most accurate and why?

Welcome
Topic: Introduction
This blog is part of my senior project for school. We had to write a 25 page research paper on the topic of our choice and somehow find a way to share it with a new audience. I chose serial homicide and the psychology behind it as my topic. I'll leave information on this blog and hopefully generate some discussion. Thanks for checking it out!