Essay

Essay on the causes of serial murder

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Module
Psychology and Crime

Institution
London Metropolitan University (LMU)

4000-word essay that critically discusses what causes individuals to perpetrate serial murder. The paper explores various factors, psychology, mental health, neuroscience, and environmental factors that lead to the commission of serial homicide, with examples. Wrote for a module in MSc Criminology.

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Uploaded on January 25, 2025
Number of pages 8
Written in 2023/2024
Type Essay
Professor(s) Unknown
Grade A

serial killer
serial homicide
serial murder
murder
killer
serial
offender
neuroscience
fbi
essay
psychology
crime

Critically discuss what causes individuals to perpetrate serial murder.

Serial murderers are defined as offenders who kill with aforethought at least three people
over a period of time accompanied by “cooling-off” periods (U.S. Department of Justice,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.). This paper aims to examine the causes underlying
the development of a serial killer. A plethora of reasons contributes to the perpetration
of this crime, which cannot be reconducted to a single cause. The same is true for
motivations, which vary from sexual gratification to revenge to financial gain. Most
offenders present biological deficits, a history of abuse, mental disorders, or a
combination of these factors. Furthermore, fantasies or psychotic symptoms often drive
sadistic impulses, which are acted on powerless, dehumanized victims. However, it is
important to remind that not all serial killers report childhood abuses or cerebral
damages (Miller, 2014a). This paper will start by analysing neurological impairments
which can contribute to violent behaviour. It will proceed by illustrating the influence of
mental disorders on possible homicidal outcomes. These two factors are not separated
but interact with each other. Moreover, to accompany this, specific categories of serial
killers identified by Holmes and DeBurger (1988, cited in Ferguson et al., 2003) will
ulteriorly explore intrinsic motivations for serial murder. Serial murder, although
characterized by aforethought, often results from impulsive behaviours. Impulsive
violence is associated with activating negative affect, resulting from defective serotonin
and dopamine systems. Serotonin is a mood stabilizer; it affects brain functioning in an
inhibitory way, breaking impulsive, thoughtless behaviour. Serotonergic transmission is
impaired in violent offenders (Hickey, 2010). A low concentration of the 5-HIAA
metabolite, responsible for the regulation of violent behaviour, results in impulsive and
aggressive actions (Malmquist, 2006). The brutality of the attack, “the overkill”, is an
indicator of the serial killer’s inability to control him/herself and to assess the extent of
violence required to neutralize the victim. Raine (2013) found that individuals with low
levels of serotonin are more likely to retaliate in an unfair social situation, losing their
temper more easily than controls. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in reward
seeking behaviour. According to Ramsland (2006), low dopamine levels lead the person
to seeks stimulating situation, becoming addicted to compulsive pleasure-seeking
behaviours. For serial killers, specifically thrill-seeking offenders, aggression can be
rewarding. Such hedonistic offenders derive pleasure from killing; sexual and
psychological gratification is found in hunting and assaulting victims as well (Holmes and
DeBurger, 1988, cited in Ferguson et al., 2003). High levels of dopamine and
norepinephrine activate the brain’s reward system and release a thrilling feeling which,
when levels of these neurotransmitters diminish, the offender is driven to seek again. The
need for stimulation with each murder and the killer becomes addicted to it (Ramsland,
2006). Furthermore, a combination of drug abuse and high levels of dopamine may
reduce inhibition and increase the motivation of the offender to strike again (Raine,

, 2013). The increasing rate of killings reflects compulsive and addictive behaviours.
Dopamine alterations combined with a dysfunctional prefrontal cortex may result in an
increased desire and a reduction in control of violent behaviours (Ramsland, 2006).
Changes in the levels of these neurotransmitters will change emotion, cognition,
thoughts, and behaviour, into their violent expressions. The link between brain chemistry
and violence is complex; not all individuals with genes alterations become serial killers,
and not all serial offenders present the same biological predispositions. The monoamine
oxidase (MAOA) is an ulterior factor thought to be associated with serial crime. This
enzyme is involved in many cognitive functions and metabolizes neurotransmitters such
as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine (Raine, 2013). A lack of MAOA may lead to risky
behaviours and disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
alcohol or drug abuse. Furthermore, low levels of MAOA are associated with antisocial
and violent behaviour in adulthood in those with a history of abuse (Raine, 2013). This
supports the claim that there is no single gene for crime and the environment plays a
critical role as well. Cerebral deficits and injuries may increase predisposition towards
violence. A right hemisphere dysfunction could affect emotionality, contributing to
impulse control issues. Instead, a left hemisphere impairment could alter the way a
person perceives the world and relative coping skills (Malmquist, 2006). Additionally,
from PET imaging research, violent murderers were found to have reduced glucose
metabolism in the prefrontal cortex (Raine, 2013). Hypoglycemic states may result from
chronic alcohol abuse and are implicated in defective integration of data from different
domains. This could contribute to the offender’s educational and occupational failure,
leaving violence the only effective method to achieve his needs (Malmquist, 2006).
Seizures in the temporal lobe have been associated with behavioural changes involving
excessive aggression, hyper-religiosity, altered sexuality (Malmquist, 2006). In this
clinical condition, automatisms may occur with postictal amnesia; the individual’s state
of consciousness is altered, and memory altered to suppressed traumatic events.
Homicides are thought to occur during dissociative states. Furthermore, psychological
sequelae may accumulate resentment and anger, or a mental disorder may develop,
playing a contributory role in the homicidal outburst. Comorbid diagnoses include
schizophrenic or paranoid-type traits. During a seizure, states of depression, anxiety,
delusions, or euphoria are often experienced (Malmquist, 2006). Repeated seizures can
result in brain injury and related behavioural changes. Becoming more vulnerable to
future seizures, the likelihood of repeated crimes rises. It cannot be confirmed or
disconfirmed that this vulnerability may be related to homicidal outcomes, except for the
citation of specific cases. For instance, serial killer Richard Ramirez was diagnosed with
temporal lobe epilepsy and suffered severe childhood abuse; his sexually sadistic
crimes involved excessive aggression inflicted on already dead victims, and hyper-
religiosity toward Satan, whom he worshipped by drawing pentagrams on his victims’
bodies. A different conceptualization of temporal lobe epilepsy interprets this as
episodic dyscontrol (Langevin et al., 1987). Neural circuits related to defensive behaviour

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