The Psychology of Serial Killers

We are the human race. We are untouchable. We are the masters of the world, the predator of all nature. Gifted with an extraordinarily large intelligence, we are always creating, innovating, idealizing. And yet this large intelligence brings forth irrevocable problems. We can also be the hunted, but not by any other race. Our predator roams behind the masked lines of today's society; they prowl, constantly in wait for a new target. Modern times have constructed a terrifying facade of this character. He is ruthless, cold. His elusiveness is astounding. He is gifted, talented, even charming. He is a killing machine that harbors no guilt or conscience, no regret or remorse. He is the serial killer. What propels a man to such extent that they will deliberately hunt and horrifically murder one innocent member of their own race after another? How do they not feel disgusted at their appalling crimes? To explore the psyche of a serial killer is a dark and dangerous quest indeed, one that has stumped even the greatest thinkers over the centuries.

To begin with, many serial killers share the same bizarre traits. Serial killers tend to be intelligent, with high IQ's, yet they do poorly in school, have trouble holding down jobs, and often work as unskilled laborers. As children, most are abandoned by their fathers and raised by domineering mothers. They have high rates of suicide attempts. Serial killers also tend to be involved with sadistic activity—for example, tormenting younger children or small creatures, such as pets. The majority of serial killers reportedly wet their beds after the age of 12. And most all of them are interested in fetishism, voyeurism, and sado-masochistic pornography. Many of these traits can also be used to describe a psychopath or a sociopath— which all serial killers happen to be.

Although most serial killers have been male, the most infamous killer of all time lived before the modern history, before our culture became fascinated with its image. Her name was Countess Erszebet Bathory and she was a breathtakingly beautiful, unusually well-educated woman, married to a descendant of Vlad Dracula of Bram Stoker fame. In 1611, she was tried in Hungary for slaughtering 612 young girls. Her noble heritage prevented her from being convicted. The true figure may have been from 40 to 100 innocents, though the Countess recorded in her diary that more than 610 girls and 50 bodies were found in her estate when it was raided. She tortured them and drained them of their blood, in which she bathed, believing that it had beauty-preserving properties. This vanity is usual among serial killers. Children now delight in playing a game called Bloody E in honor of the Countess.

And what motive do these characters have for killing innocents? The list goes something like this: sexual favours, sexual sadism, pedophilia, financial gains, racism, fun, pleasure, and thrill. The last three motives may sound ridiculous, but it is the chilling truth. As a well-known serial killer Albert DeSalvo, said: "It wasn't as dark and scary as it sounds. I had a lot of fun... killing somebody's