Serial Killers: A Psychological Perspective

In the previous article (which can be accessed by clicking here) I wrote about serial killers from a structuralist/sociological perspective. In this article I want to look at serial killing from a psychological/neuropsychological perspective i.e., what causes a specific individual to commit serial murder. Obviously, motivations to kill differ between offenders e.g., Ed Kemper was largely motivated by the hatred he had towards his mother, whilst Fred and Rose West were sexual sadists who progressed in their “exploration” of those they victimized to become killers. However, there are certain common traits and histories that may go towards creating the mind of a serial killer. In this article I will look at some of the personality disorders and psychoses that certain serial killers have been diagnosed with, and how such disorders develop. I will also describe some of the “symptoms” of these disorders that certain killers have exhibited, even though they may not have demonstrated all the criteria necessary for a clinical diagnosis of a disorder e.g., many serial killers have shown to have abandonment issues, but do not have any of the other conditions of borderline personality disorder etc. It is worth noting at this juncture, that personality disorders are different to mental illnesses.

Although there is no “formal” distinction between what constitutes a mental illness and a personality disorder, it is accepted that a personality disorder such as borderline personality disorder, is largely unchangeable i.e., it represents a way of thinking/viewing/interacting with the world that can’t be changed via treatment etc., whereas a mental illness, such as depression or schizophrenia is episodic (comes and goes in its severity and extent) and is treatable. Whilst personality disorders contribute significantly to crime and violence, mental illness plays less of a role.

Two personality disorders that are common amongst serial killers are anti-social personality disorder (which includes psychopathy) (APD), and borderline personality disorder (BPD), both of which are over-represented in the prison system, when compared to the general population e.g., around 60% of the male prison population in the US have APD, contrasted to 2% of the general population. It would be incorrect to link these disorders – especially BPD – directly to criminality i.e., there are those who have these disorders who don’t commit offenses, however they do constitute a risk factor when considering violent offending. It would also be unwise and unethical to connect serial murder to these personality disorders. Two symptoms of these disorders that might explain serial murder are boredom and abandonment. One of the facets of psychopathy is extreme boredom, and the need to seek thrills and engage in risky/dangerous activities. An intelligent offender such as Ted Bundy, may well have engaged in his sexual murders as a way to alleviate his boredom and dissatisfaction with the lack of excitement in his life. One of the symptoms of BPD, is the fear of abandonment, that can often lead to violence; sometimes against others, and sometimes against themselves (self-harm). When someone with BPD, makes a strong attachment to somebody, the psychic pain when they receive some form of rejection (including personal slights), can be extreme, resulting in uncontrollable rage (“borderline rage”). Jeffrey Dahmer killed his first victim, when Steven Hicks wanted to leave his house, and in Dahmer’s words, “I didn’t want him to”, bludgeoning him into unconsciousness with a dumbbell, and then strangling him to death whilst he remained unconscious.

Certain serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, as well as being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder (not to be confused with the mental illness schizophrenia, though it is sometimes a precursor to developing this illness), was subject to psychotic episodes. In a psychotic episode an individual may, for example, have the delusion that the government has planted a chip in their brain, in order to track their movements, so that some hired assassin can find them and kill them – they may then believe that someone they interact with is said assassin etc. With schizotypal personality disorder an individual may hold to some unconventional beliefs, which although would not constitute as a psychosis, might cause someone with this disorder to act and behave in strange way e.g., someone might believe that you should only engage in killing when the moon was in a certain phase (they may not be motivated to kill, every time the moon went through this phase, but that if you do engage in murder it was only permissible at certain times). When categorizing symptoms of mental illnesses and disorders, they can often be classed as falling into two categories: positive symptoms and negative symptoms e.g., a positive symptom is a symptom that is additional to normal behavior, such as having hallucinations (hearing voices/seeing things that aren’t there), whereas a negative symptom is the absence of a normal behavior, such as alogia (the inability to produce language), which results in individuals not speaking for long periods of time etc. Dahmer, was socially and emotionally limited, having many negative symptoms, which led to him being isolated and lonely. It has been speculated that one of the reasons Dahmer may have engaged in the cannibalism of his victims was to engage in something so extreme that the act might change/cure him of his social inabilities and his lack of ability to function in the real world etc.

Whether there is a biological/genetic link to personality disorders, or they are the resulting personalities formed from the experiences that individuals with certain character traits have etc., is still unanswered e.g., whether serial killers are “born” or “made” is still not fully understood. However, without question there is a definite psychological element to their offenses. This does not mean that the sociological/structuralist perspective is incorrect but rather that a person’s decision to repeatedly offend – however rational that is – is heavily dependent on their individual mental state, and that societal norms, values and conditions have an influence on this to a greater or lesser degree. In the next article I will look at the types of occupations that serial killers often gravitate to, and the extent to which these occupations present, create, and/or, enable opportunities for serial murder.