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My eyes are glued to the luminous screen while my mind dives deep into analyzing and
absorbing every detail. Like puzzle pieces, my pulsating mind fits each new detail with a
previous one creating a single image. As the image formulates, my attention strives to answer
Puzzle pieces form through a procedure of analytical and imaginative philosophy with
each detail pinpointing key characteristics of the offender. My chocolate colored orbs absorb the
stream sanctioning my effervescent mind to sift judiciously through each drop of evidence with
enquiries. Why isnt this character being looked at as a person of interest, considering his
behavior and body language? Whats the significance to this type of crime? Was he motivated by
rage, rejection, or power? Do these killers rationalize their behavior so that its okay?
Characters on the incandescent screen portray answers for my determined mind to scrutinize,
emboldening my entire being to place myself in the whirlwind of activities in the lives of the
The vivid images stream character growth of the central personalities on the show,
Criminal Minds, drawing my attention towards the enticing wonderment. Personalities such as
Aaron Hotchner and Derek Morgan prompt my brain into developing the necessary puzzle pieces
to solve the questions plaguing the case. Human nature and the amplification of behavior and
tendencies are always in question, directing me into a permanent stage of wonderment and
fascination. Questions rack my brain as the old ones stitch together. What forces make up who
we are? What drives these killers to commit such heinous acts? Could it be prevented?
Similar questions plague my mind as the pieces of each new case opens and closes in
And it is this court of awe that leads me to my question: Are serial killers a product of their
The expedition to answering my question started when I visited the Concord Police
Department. As I made my way to the station, I approached what looked like two different
parking lots, and parked my pearly white car in the permitted area. I took in my surroundings and
noticed two police cars parked in front of me, both with officers in them. As I got out of my car, I
felt a light breeze crawl through my hair. My auburn orbs were enticed by the iridescent green
glow of the trees as the golden sun illuminated between them. Considering the harmoniousness
of my surroundings, an ease come over me, making me feel confident as I approached the
caramel colored station. Making my way to the front of the station I entered through the double
chestnut colored doors, which led me to the lobby of the station. I was greeted with the hazel
orbs, snow-like skin, and cinnamon colored hair of a young woman who gave me a visitor's
nametag and assisted me to the second floor to meet with my mentor, Detective Phalen.
Climbing up the cream-colored stairs, I met my mentor who had the courtesy of showing
me the details of the police station. We made our way back down to the lobby where I was led to
the back of the station and through large azure glass doors to get a peak of the small interrogation
rooms, consisting of a table and chairs. Going even further into the station, I was presented with
the station's charcoal holding cells and more integration rooms; some containing cameras and
recorders and others not. Detective Phalen led me back upstairs where I was shown the room in
which victims or family members would be questioned and where the four different units work
i.e. the special victims unit. Each unit had its special location with the desks setup to mirror what
looked like a maze, definitely nothing like what is showcased on T.V. We then made our way to
begin the interview, which would aid me in furthering my research and answering my question.
The debate on whether we are made up of our genes or our environment has been one
with no definitive answer. Some psychologists state that nurture is the leading factor, some that
nature is, while others state that both factors are equally important. To try to get a definitive
answer this paper will be examining the nature versus nurture debate, specifically focusing on
serial killers.
In order to get a better understanding of a serial killer, one must establish what a serial
killer is. In the simplest of terms, A serial killer is conventionally defined as a person who
murders three or more people in a period of over a month, with cooling down time between
murders (Serial Killer vs). To further understand serial killers, many psychologists have
examined the controversial theory: nature versus nurture. Nature can be defined as, the
Biological explanation of serial murder generally dealing with genetics (XYY chromosomes),
brain) (Gerdes 89). Nurture on the other hand, can be defined as the learning experiences and
interactions with the world around us, which make and shape us into who we are.
To give an overview of serial killers, most of them are male apart from a few females. On
average, a serial killer can carry on his/her crime for four years before being apprehended. In
terms of what motivates these killers to perform such heinous acts, researchers have found a
variety of reasons. Most serial killers kill for the thrill, sexual satisfaction, a sense of
dominance/control, or to rid the world of the filth and evil present. Although these killers
perform heinous acts, some of them do have their reasoning for it.
Those who do have a reason showcase that nurture is a more dominant factor. For
instance, in the case of Nannie Doss, who only craved love but was given the opposite. Dosss
father showed her no love, only coldness and abuse, making Doss obsessed with the idea of love.
Unfortunately, Doss had no luck in finding the love she craved. The men that she found and
thought she was in love with turned out to treat her the same way her father did. And it is that
treatment that led her to murdering her husbands and children. Similar to Dosss case, there is the
case of Aileen Wuornos, who also exemplifies nurture as the leading factor. Wuornos
experienced a great deal of trauma during her childhood, her ...father killed himself while
serving prison time for child molestation, while her mother abandoned Aileen and older brother
Keith, leaving them to be raised by their grandparents (Aileen Wuornos). On top of that,
Wuornoss grandparents abused her, resulting in her becoming pregnant in her early teens. Which
in turn caused her to give up her child and be forced to live in the woods. Due to the trauma she
faced, Wuornos became a sex worker and targeted men who were seeking her services.
Additionally, the cycle of childhood abuse continues with the case of Carroll Cole. Cole had an
abusive mother who would physically beat him and make him watch, as she would have affairs
with men while her husband was fighting in World War II. Aside from that, she would force Cole
to dress up as a girl and then tease him about it. Due to his poor childhood Cole ... learned to
take this hatred out on innocent women as he grew older, claiming that he felt he killed her
through them (Blanco). These are just a few of the many cases that display the impact that
nurture has and the extent to which it makes certain people become serial killers. As these cases
illustrate the significance of nurture, there are certain cases that favor the opposite.
To counterbalance the nurture aspect, there have been many cases in which nature is a
dominant factor, overruling the idea that the environment shapes these serial killers. For
example, in the case of Dennis Rader, a.k.a. the BTK killer. Rader grew up in an average
home, served in the U.S. Air Force, got married and had children. Rader was just like any other
average man; the only difference was that he had the drive to inflict pain upon others starting
from a young age. Rader started out by hanging stray cats, and as he grew older, went to killing
families by strangulation. He would even take an object from the families he killed as a souvenir.
Correspondingly, there is the case of Jeffrey Dahmer, Dahmer had a normal upbringing with both
his parents and brother. He was an energetic and happy child; the only thing that stood out was
that he displayed troubling behavior following a childhood double hernia surgery. The surgery
seemed to have affected the young boys mind resulting in him becoming withdrawn and
disengaged. Dahmer particularly targeted African-Americans and In addition to killing the men
and teenagers he lured home, he mutilated, photographed and performed sexual acts on the
victims' corpses, keeping body parts as mementos (Jeffrey Dahmer). Lastly, a prime example
of the nature aspect is the case of David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the Son of Sam. Berkowitz was
adopted when he was a few days old into the household of loving parents. He had a close
relationship with his mother and was an intelligent, yet troubled kid growing up. Berkowitz
targeted single women and couples, killing six people and leaving many others injured.
Throughout his childhood, Berkowitz did not experience any trauma that would give an answer
as to why he decided to take the lives of others, further emphasizing nature as a leading role. As
illustrated, these cases and many more like this reveal the impact of genetics. In these cases, all
these serial killers received proper nurture yet they turned to a life of committing heinous acts.
For these serial killers growing up in an environment of overall happiness and love seemed to not
researchers have revealed in regards to testosterone and genomes connecting to violent behavior.
Testosterone is a hormone that is found in greater quantity in men than that of women. Through
scientific research testosterone has seem to manifest its way from thoughts, aggression,
dominance in behavior, to that of physical violence. It also plays a key role in the brain
specifically in the arousal of aggression. Furthermore, there is even ...evidence that testosterone
levels are higher in individuals with aggressive behavior, such as prisoners who have committed
violent crimes (Batrinos). Testosterone being one example of genetics playing a crucial role in
the making of serial killers, researchers have also found that there is a certain genome -- A
genome is an organisms complete set of DNA, including all of its genes (What is a) -- that
connects to violent behavior. With this, there is one gene in particular that has been brought to
light. Known as the warrior-gene researcher have found that this gene revealed that ...a
rate) as well as the CDH13 gene are associated with extremely violent behavior... (Keegan).
Both the hormone testosterone and the gene MAOA (and its mutation, CDH13) illustrate the
influence genetics have on a human being. Nature may not be the only reason that a serial killer
decides to take the lives of another, but it has proven to be a significant factor.
As these cases and many more illustrate either the nature or nurture aspect, there are
cases that demonstrate both nature and nurture having a significant role in the lives of serial
killers. One case that stands out is the case of Carl Panzram. Panzram grew up in a normal
household, with his parents, five brothers, and one sister. What stood out about Panzram was that
starting from a young age he had violent tendencies that carried on with him. Due to his parents
being no longer able to handle his violent and criminal behavior, they sent him to a boarding
school at the age of 11. In the boarding school he attended, Panzram was abused horribly; he
faced sexual, physical, and verbal abuse. Once Panzram was finished with the boarding school
he went back home, but his life was forever changed. Panzram went home with a mind full of
hate and made it his life's mission to bring harm upon anyone he encountered. Panzrams crimes
raged from burglary to arson to rape and to murder. Panzrams case clearly demonstrates the
impact of both nature and nurture, Between his nature (propensity to violence) and his nurturing
(the abuse he suffered at the boarding school), Carls fate was sealed (Examination of the).
For Panzram, once he entered the boarding school and experienced all that abuse, the genetic
traits in him were heightened and triggered even further, leading him into a life of inflicting pain
upon others.
As these cases exemplify the way serial killers are formed, they also represent that the
making of a serial killer is more of a case-to-case study. One case that demonstrates this is the
James Fallon case. Fallon, a neuroscientist, examined his brain and found that his brain activity
resembled that of a serial killer's -- it showed that there was unusual activity in the areas
responsible for self-control and empathy, which is common in most serial killers. On top of that,
Fallon had a count of seven murderers in his family tree. With these findings, it is clear that
Fallon's nature illustrates that he had the potential to become a serial killer. Fortunately, Fallon
grew up in a loving environment, causing those genes to be overlooked but, Had he been abused
or neglected as a child, it seems very likely that this aggressive competitive scientist would
All these cases serve the purpose of demonstrating that both nature and nurture are
equally significant. As previously mentioned, the MAOA gene predominantly illustrates nature
as a significant factor, though it also connects to nurture. Past research has found relationships
between specific environmental factors and genes linked to aggressive violence, including
MAOA. A particularly strong connection has been noted among abuse in childhood
(Powledge). This serves the purpose of showcasing that you cannot have nurture without nature
and vice versa. These two factors will always collide and will come together to decide the
With all these cases presented, from Nannie Doss to Dennis Rader to Carl Panzram to
James Fallon it is clear that there is no definitive answer as to what shapes a serial killer, but
rather that both nature and nurture play a significant role in the making of a serial killer. All these
cases demonstrate that the, Predisposition to serial killing, much like other violent offenses, is
biological, social, and psychological in nature, and it is not limited to any specific characteristic
or trait (Serial Murder). In the cases of serial killers there isn't a factor that can dominate the
other, merely because there is so much to consider. When it comes to serial killers, it isn't just
about whether their environment or genes shape them but it is all the factors combined and
analyzed together. In an interview with Northgate High School's psychologist, Mary Tsuboi,
regarding the question In your professional opinion to what extent does environment play a role
in the life of a serial killer and to what extent does genetics? she stated:
he stated:
I think it's both, simply because we have both ends of the spectrum, you have perpetrators
who grew up in a normal family, with a dad, a mom, and a sister, went to the good
schools, got an education, did all those things and then somewhere along the line
something happened which caused them to become disenfranchised and to become
murderers. On the other end of the spectrum, these kids are traumatized at a young age
and a lot of them are able to overcome it and lead a normal, productive life and be able to
be successful, putting that part behind them.
Subsequently emphasizing that when it comes to serial killers, there are many factors that
need to be taken into consideration. While there are similarities and behavioral patterns that
overlap in these cases, the only way to analyze these killers is really by a case-to-case study.
Ultimately, each of these serial killers have unique aspects that make them who they are and it is
only by examining their genetic makeup and environment together that one can truly understand
how these killers are made, concluding that Both nature (heredity) and nurture (environment)
much better understanding on what shapes a serial killer and how nature and nurture work
together, or separately. Along with that, this research has furthered my knowledge on
psychology, sociology, criminology and the impacts of the brain/genes. Through this I have
learned that I truly do have a passion for criminology and psychology. I have seen that those are
the two subjects that really intrigue me and get me critically thinking/analyzing.
Furthermore, I have found that there truly is a lot to analyzing a serial killer and that it is
not just limited to two factors. I have found that when it comes to serial killers one must look at
gender differences, how they commit their crimes, who they target, are they organized or
disorganized, and what motivates them. Gender differences aid in helping to identify certain
aspects of the killer, as does how they commit their crimes. For example, psychologists look at
whether these killer use strangulation, a gun, a knife, or drowning on their victims. From
analyzing the specific way these killers kill psychologists are able to identify certain
characteristics of the killers, if a killer strangles or drowns their victim it mostly means that the
kill was more personal, since killing in this manner allows the killer to feel the life leave the
body. Then there is who they target which connects with what motives these killers to kill.
Usually serial killers target a specific range of people and that contributes to why they kill. As
previously mentioned, Carroll Cole, targeted women similar to his mother since his mother
inflicted so much abuse and trauma onto him. Therefore, his motivation was revenge and him
wanting to get his anger out on women who resembled his abuse/trauma. Along with that there
are organized killers who stalk their victims, choose specific ones, and plan their kills. While
disorganized killers will usually kill anyone that fits their target victim without any planning.
As illustrated, the process of writing this paper has furthered my knowledge in what
really makes a serial killer. Throughout my research, I have found that there are many factors
that need to be considered and that it is the combination of all these factors that shapes who and
Electronic
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Ehrenfeld, Temma. "Are Killers Born or Made? Both." Psychology Today. Psychology
20 Mar. 2017.
Keegan, Simon. Are Killers Born with 'Murder Gene'? Mirror, Mirror, 29 Oct. 2014. Accessed 18
Apr. 2017.
Powledge, Tabitha M. Do the MAOA and CDH13 'Human Warrior Genes' Make Violent Criminals -
And What Should Society Do? Genetic Literacy Project, Disqus, 1 Apr. 2017. Accessed 18 Apr.
2017.
Serial Killers vs. Mass Murderers. Crime Museum, Crime Museum. Accessed 18 Apr. 2017.
Primary
Received by Mary Tsuboi. Re: Senior Project. Shaghasi, Henna, 17 Mar. 2017.
Rogers, Kara. New Thinking about Genetics. Britannica Educational Pub.in Association