I just stepped on a cornflake. Now I am officially a cereal killer similar to BTK, Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz. Many children commonly misinterpret the phrase “serial killer” as someone who breaks into their house and ends the life of their box of Rice Krispies. A child’s mind wonders why someone would terrorize their breakfast food. In reality, serial killers have a much deeper and darker connotation. Tayler Salvatore proved how serial killers are created throughout her article “The Creation of a Serial Killer: Nature vs. Nurture.”
What is a serial killer? According to the Examination of the Psychology of Serial Killers quoted by Salvatore, “A serial killer is someone who kills at least three victims one by one in a series of sequential murders, with a form of psychological gratification as the primary motive.” Serial killers are monsters that typically do not have a motive to kill. Murderers usually do have reasons to kill someone. “All serial killers are murderers, but not all murderers are serial killers” (Salvatore). When comprehending how serial killers are created, the debate of nature versus nurture is a common topic.
People debate that nature is the cause of serial killers, meaning that the monsters are born with their traits already decided. Nature believers assume that serial killers are born with killer instincts. Genes and personality traits are two characteristics that nature believers focus on. David Berkowitz, or better known as Son of Sam, lived a perfect, positive life. Because of his wonderful upbringing, evidence shows that Berkowitz was a victim of a serial killer being created by nature.
“Although there is no record of David’s biological family’s mental health conditions or criminal history, it is assumed that there were biological factors that contributed to his behavior. It is clear that the nurturing he received from his adoptive parents could not have possibly played a role in the killer he became” (Salvatore).
Nature is not always the sole contributor of the creation of serial killers.
The other side of the debate is that serial killers are created by nurture, meaning that the environment determines who a person is and becomes. Traumatic events, the way a person is raised, and abuse tie into the creation of serial killers through nurture. Nurture believers argue that no person is truly born evil. “The way a child is raised can completely change who they will become. The dangerous combination of genes and traumatic upbringings can have catastrophic results on what a person becomes” (Salvatore). Research has been done to prove that nurture is the dominant role in the creation of serial killers.
Research has also found that the most diagnosed mental disorder related to serial killers is Antisocial Personality Disorder (Pemment). According to “What Would We Find Wrong in the Brain of a Serial Killer?” by Jack Pemment, “This is a cluster B personality in the DSM IV, and [it] is intimately related with psychopathy. Psychopathy is not a clinical diagnosis, but it is considered a developmental disorder by neuroscientists.” Some psychopathic traits have been linked to serial killers by the FBI.
Even through confusion between cereal killers and serial killers, people form their own opinions on how serial killers come about, especially with the help of research and studies conducted. There are many arguments about serial killers — or someone who kills at least 3 victims one by one in a series of sequential murders — happening, trying to decide whether serial killers are created by nature or nurture. Agreeing with the article The Creation of a Serial Killer: Nature vs. Nurture allows me to more understand the mind of serial killer. I believe serial killers are created by their home life, childhood, and nurturing.
In my opinion, I believe that a person is formed into a serial killer by the way they are raised. So, I agree with the nurture side. I also agree that serial killers are immensely related to cluster B of personality disorders in the DSM IV because of antisocial, but also borderline.