Opinions on Serial Killers

Opinions on Serial Killers

                                  Throughout the generations, serial killers have evolved from being “witches and werewolves” to being mentally insane individuals. Historically, society has elected to categorize serial killers very adversely. In recent studies, scientist and psychologist have determined that serial killers have lived a lifetime of violence, usually beginning with abuse or neglect as a child and resulting in pathological violence, i.e. murder. Before society had the benefits of technology, people believed that killing a human was impossible for another human to carry out, hence the invention of witches and werewolves. Society needed something to blame and refused to believe that their neighbor could commit such a violent crime without paranormal influence.

                                  In the late 20^th century, the media exploded with the thought of serial killers and the typical murder show was produced. Since then, shows like Criminal Minds and Dexter has exploded with popularity throughout America. Criminal Minds is based off of a real FBI task force called the Behavioral Sciences Unit and portrays what they do on a daily bases to locate and prevent serial killers.

 Serial killers are grouped into three distinct categories: organized killer, disorganized killer, or medical killer. Organized killers are believed to be one of the hardest styles of murderers to be caught because they plan their attacks so obsessively. They plan every detail and leave little room for error, which increases the difficulty for law enforcement to apprehend them. Disorganized killers are killers of opportunity and typically kill with a high level of violence. Since they do not plan their attacks, they have a high margin of error and are easier to catch than organized and medical killers.  Last, we have medical killers, also known as “Angels of Death”. Angels of Death, similar to organized killers, are extremely hard to catch because they are so thorough and careful. They typically believe that the person they are killing needs to die because of the pain or misery they may be enduring. They think that they are helping the victims.

                                  Punishment of serial killers has become a very controversial topic amongst many Americans. Murder is one of the very few crimes that result in Capital Punishment. Some argue that you cannot kill a serial killer because they are mentally unstable or ill. They attempt to justify killing because of their childhood issues or mental illnesses. Others say that killing is killing no matter how you want to look at it and it should be punished by death. Telling a family that the man/woman who killed their loved one is being let go or receiving a lower penalty because they are insane is unfair.

                                  Each generation is plagued with a serial killer of some type and each generation deals with them differently. It is growing harder to handle these murderers because of the way our judiciary branch is set up. It takes years for a murderer to be tried and they still have a chance of being released. Past generations led a more direct approach to murderers and immediately killed them. Either way, history shows that as long as humans are on earth, we will be forced to catch and punish serial killers.

                                  Serial killers are a very abstract phenomenon to understand. They are more than your average murderer and have a very specific style of killing that the average human could not fathom. To a psychologist, studying a serial killer is a very intriguing topic, but how do psychologists and behavior analyst actually study serial killers? How do they determine the difference between a sane person and psychopath? The way a serial killers mind works is like none other. Each one is different and each one requires an in depth understanding of the killer’s life long experience, especially the catalyst that created the monster. HL Long’s article does an extremely well job of covering the basics of serial killers and their evolution from “witches” to “Angels of Death”.

                                  Serial killers make an awesome plot for a T.V. show or a movie and people love them. They enjoy the suspense and the drama and some even idolize them. Without serial killers, basic cable would not have the drama and excitement for the viewers.

                                   I believe that studying serial killers and understanding their mentality is a very important factor for law enforcement. The better they understand them, the more people they will be able to save. Serial killers are always going to pop up and the only thing we can do about it is to understand them and stop them. Every serial killer that has erupted in history has been unique. Each one of them is different and has different motives, styles, and purposes. But all of them relate to each other because they all kill.

                                  I think serial killers should be punished with death no matter what their mental state is. They took multiple lives and they do not deserve to have theirs. The families of the victims need justice and allowing the murderers three meals a day does not equal the pain and suffering the families are experiencing. Serial killers will remain an interesting topic and continue to be studied throughout the generations. As we evolve, they evolve. The killers of our age will be totally different than the killers of our grandchildren. They prove to be a force society needs to account for and learn to locate and prevent to insure the least amount of suffering for law abiding citizens.

Long, HL. "Public Opinions on Serial Killers." unc.edu . ibilio.org, 2011. Web. 19 Feb 2012. <http://long102portfolio.web.unc.edu/journal-article/>.