Psychotic Causes Of Serial Killers

Words: 1223
Pages: 5
Open Document
When people think of a serial killer they automatically assume that they are psychotic. However, many people do not know the true definition of psychotic. A psychotic person doesn’t necessarily have to be a criminal; a person who is psychotic suffers from a form of psychosis. Psychosis is a severe mental disorder in which a person’s thoughts and emotions become so impaired that they lose their sense of reality. Psychotic people tend to hallucinate thinking that people are out to get them. They begin to lose the meaning of reality and focus more on their hallucinations. Serial killers are more psychopathic than psychotic. A psychopath is person who commits crimes and feels no empathy for others. They lack compassion and are more of a danger …show more content…
They attack a person because their psychosis symptom makes them feel threatened. While serial killers murder a person because they want to, someone with psychosis kills because their mental illness causes them to. They become paranoid and start thinking that anyone who feels like a threat to them should be attacked. A person with any form of psychosis won’t kill because they felt like it. They would kill because their mental illness makes them hurt anyone who feels like a threat to them. An individual suffering from any type of psychosis is not a dangerous threat to the people around …show more content…
Serial killers are aware of what is around them and the difference between right and wrong. Serial killers know that they are killing someone and it is against the law. In the book “What Makes Serial Killers Tick”, Shirley Lynn Scott writes “Always looking to manipulate, serial killers will do just about anything to convince the authorities of their insanity” (26),they often start acting like they are crazy in front of the jury and judge, so that their sentence won’t be as bad as it would be if they acted like their normal selves. Sometimes serial killers will try to act like they have dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder) to put the blame on their alter ego. They do this to try to convince the jury and judge that they are insane. “Does the offender understand the difference between right and wrong?” says Scott “If he flees or makes any attempt to hide the crime, then the offender is not insane… his actions show that he understood that what he was doing was wrong,” a person who kills someone and tries to cover up their tracks is not psychotic they are normal people who are psychopaths. For example, when Ted Bundy got pulled over by a cop in the late seventies, they found suspicious materials that would link Bundy to numerous crimes. Bundy ended up clearing his car and selling it so law enforcement wouldn’t be able to connect the crimes he did. Bundy
Show More

Related Documents: Psychotic Causes Of Serial Killers

Essay about literature review

this literature review, there will a full description of what exactly is a psychopath (including historical examples), typical characteristics of a psychopath, and if a psychopath can be saved from this disease. In addition, the relation between serial killers and psychopathic behavior will be discussed. Information from books, articles, and even movies will give a background and a clear picture for the subject. The disadvantages as well as the advantages to being a psychopath will also be highlighted…

Words 1483 - Pages 6

The Psycopathic Mental and Personality Disordr of Charles Manson Essay

petty crimes and larcenous acts, spending seventeen of his first thirty-two years in jails and prisons” (Lerma, 2006, p. 4). Manson was not a violent person, but had offenses such as “burglary, car theft, forgery, and pimp” (Lerma, 2006, p. 4). A psychotic mind can be very smart. So smart as to learn scientology, hypnotize his followers, and plan dooms day, while in prison. But, psychology only takes a look at the personality and thinking of Charles Manson, but his upbringing is part of the main factors…

Words 2043 - Pages 9

Serial Killers: Why Do People Commit Crimes?

Throughout history, almost 16 percent of serial killers were adopted. James Munro, 18, was an accomplice to almost 44 murders. When he was about to a year old the Munro family adopted him. He had a good life until he found out that he was adopted. He began to build up anger and decide to let out his…

Words 732 - Pages 3

Juveniles Legal System

their sentences on the age of the child over the severity of the crime done. Some young killers show no remorse over what they had done but still may get a lesser sentence based on their age. Mary Bell murder two boys days before her 11th birthday strangling both boys in Scotswood. She also cut off the second boy’s genitals. Finally she proceeded to carve the letter “M” into his stomach. Regarded as psychotic she was put into government care and now lives under protected identity. If Mary was older…

Words 1383 - Pages 6

Chuck Barris In The Film Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind

Confessions from an Antisocial Mind: An analysis of Chuck Barris as he was portrayed in the movie Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Written by Chuck Barris and Charlie Kaufman Produced by Andrew Lazar, Directed by George Clooney, (2002) Kevin L. Heddwyn Arizona State University Dr. Elizabeth Valenti, Abnormal Psychology (PSY 366) Fall, 2014 Abstract The creator of various television programs, Chuck Barris, is portrayed in the 2002 film “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” as a callous, disturbed…

Words 2609 - Pages 11

The Mind of a Monster Essay

Instructor Eric RadkowskiDecember 23, 2013 Even though Ted Bundy was very intelligent and had a high level of conscientiousness which most anti-social people do not have; he was competent, able to achieve goals, and deliberate and yet he was a serial killer psychopath. Bundy had an anti-social behavior and lacked normal emotional response and morality. He wasn't capable of being empathetic or having feelings. First, He had an anti-social behavior and lacked normal emotional response and morality…

Words 3221 - Pages 13

Unit 1 Notes Essay

concepts on any field of study; distinguishes between any field of study b) Understand- every behavior takes place in a context & placed in an environment ex. 90% of us have never participated in road rage c) Prediction- Can predict behavior cause we’re alike – we have commonalities 51% of our behavior is in common (inherited) most of our behavior is in our DNA – understand how it precedes over time- d) Change/Influence- Even during prenatal your trying to influence behavior (change)…

Words 1419 - Pages 6

Soc150 Final Exam Review

their action doesn’t harm society, and those actions that harm society must be punished in accordance with the principles of democracy and fair justice Harm Prevention: we must prevent harm; we must also do so with an eye of whether that which can cause harm does so exclusively, we must warn the unaware person, taxation Source Control- destroying overseas…

Words 2942 - Pages 12

The Psycho Mind Of Carl Panzram Essay examples

case of Carl Panzram, what was documented does not completely match what was stated, as having been done. Yet, we, as observers cannot completely disregard the claims that were made, as false. Being one of the most, self-proclaimed, prolific serial killers, Panzram showed no remorse for his disturbing actions; as shown in this excerpt by Panzram in his personal writings. "In my lifetime I have murdered 21 human beings, I have committed thousands of burglaries, robberies, larcenies, arsons and,…

Words 1528 - Pages 7

American Psycho: Analysis of Novel and Movie Production Essay

American Psycho: Analysis of Novel and Movie Production American Psycho has been recognized as a brilliant thriller of its time and can legitimately be labeled a scandalous novel. The novel was published in 1991 by the daring author Bret Easton Ellis and was later adapted into a movie production in 2000 by the director Mary Harron. The novel endured nasty criticism to the point of rousing riots and the boycott of the publishing company, Simon & Schuster; who later dropped the publication of…

Words 1628 - Pages 7