Criminal Mind

Criminal Mind

Although much has been written and many theories

brought forth on identifying the criminal mind, it

is still evident that there is no foolproof way to

know in advance whether a person is prone to

criminal activity. Law enforcement agencies have

begun using a method called profiling to identify

serial killers and terrorists. Some school

districts are looking into the concept as a way of

early detection into the minds of troubled

children whose violent ways might be discovered

before it is too late. By watching for certain

signals educators hope to intervene before these

students actually complete a violent act (Lord

PG).

Some have felt it is the influence of drugs or

alcohol that induces this kind of criminalistic

behavior. While substance abuse may affect a

person as far as committing offenses, it is far

unlikely that substance abuse alone could create a

serial or mass murderer. Mitchell (PG) points out

that there are "studies correlating a geographical

prevalence of alcoholism and serial murder and

might show that there is some relation between the

two (although this relationship might well be

spurious)."

Some personality traits have been shown to be

more prevalent in the makeup of serial or mass

murderers. Impulsiveness, low self-esteem and poor

social skills, as well as competitive and

aggressive behavior are quite common among these

killers as is hypersensitivity to criticism

(Mitchell PG). It has also been pointed out that

those with active or high fantasy prone

imaginations are more apt to be able to become

serial killers. Even Carl Jung pointed out that it

is the tortured that become the torturers, thus

establishing the fact that child abuse assumes a

very prominent role in the makings of a serial

killer. Perhaps it is a sense of helplessness or

lack of self worth that causes the abused to turn

to others to inflict pain upon. Sometimes this

fantasy life comes to the forefront in the

presence of actual abuse the killer has had to

endure, at which time the mind takes over and

concocts a fantasy in which the abuse is happening

to someone or something else. This can perhaps sow

the seeds in which the mind allows the fantasy to

be played out in reality later on in life

(Mitchell PG). So far, however, not enough has

been discovered in order to accurately predict

deviant behavior in the young and enable it to be

corrected before it comes to fruition.

It is interesting to note that only a few

examples of female serial murderers exist. There

are even fewer examples of female serial sadistic

killers. It seems that serial killers are most

predominately male. Because women are socially

taught subservience and obedience, it is felt that

to