There’s a question that many people have caught themselves asking. Serial killers, is the way they’re nurtured the main reason they kill or are they simply born that way. As we grow older, what is the main impact that affects the way we are? Most people would say that it’s the environment. The people that surround us as we grow up into adults are what mostly affect us. Our parents or guardian, for example, influence us in the way we turn out, seeing as they are the people who teach us right from wrong and we often take after them. Our experiences, the good and the bad. The environment that surrounds us affects and shapes us into the choices that we make and the way we turn out to be as adults.
Jim Clemente, an FBI profiler, said,”Genetics loads the gun, their personality and psychology aim it and their experiences pull the trigger.” Each factor whether it’s genetics or the experiences that they’ve had, plays a role in what provocs a serial killer. There are many factors to consider when trying to find an explanation on why serial killers kill. For example, there are biological and social factors can be an effect to the making of a serial killer. Take into consideration the genetic enzyme monoamine-oxidase-A gene, those that have this gene are more likely to have an upbringing of violent behavior, that increases if they experience abuse. Although not all with this gene are likely to become a criminal. If you had a normal childhood but “killer” genetics you’ll most likely have a normal adult life as well, on the other hand if a potential killer had a traumatic event happen to them as children and have the “killer” genetics then the chances increase.
Various studies have shown that personal traumas do seem to play an important role. In study performed by Dr. Herrenkohl and his fellow workers for the National Institute of Justice realized that “childhood abuse heightens the risk for criminal behavior in adulthood by encouraging antisocial behavior during childhood” (Davies). Although it’s important to note that “not all abused children become serial killers and not all serial killers are victims of child abuse” (Davies).
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Nature isn’t always found to have been the sole cause of contributing to the creation of a serial killer, although there are rare cases that have proven this statement to be false. An example of this can be seen in the case of David Berkowitz. He is a particular serial killers that some have used as an excellent example of nature being the main factor to his killings. As a young child, those who knew him described him as polite and quite. Everything pointed to him being raised in a loving, caring, and, safe environment that his adoptive parents created for him. Evidence was found that he suffered from psychological dysfunction that was most likely set in his genes.
It is difficult to be able to comprehend that a person is simply born evil. Nature does contribute to a good portion when factoring the different aspects of rte creation of a serial killer. But nurture seems to have the upper hand when thinking of many factors that contribute.
Serial killers that had experienced trauma resulted in the failure of their development, mentally and socially. When this is combined with a “caretakers failure to function as a positive role model, leaving them with no way to deal with the trauma, it causes them to act out in violent destructive ways” (Cummins). Many studies have been made where psychologist and sociologist have interviewed serial killer in hopes of understanding what impulses them for the crime they commit.
