Perspective Chapter: Serial Killers – The Severest of Criminal Behaviors

Abstract

A serial killer is a person who kills three or more victims for a specific reason and at regular intervals (for a few days, weeks, months, or years). Serial murders are committed in all parts of the world. In the literature, serial killers are generally defined as having a faint character, being mostly white and heterosexual, suffering psychotic disorders, being sexually abused most of them as children, belonging to low socioeconomic status families, having a bad childhood with domestic violence or oppressive mother’s violence. The modus operandi of a serial killer can only be murder or sexual abuse, torture, domination, and humiliation. The leading cause of the increase in serial murders all over the world is the collapse of the traditional family structure. Following this, women became a target with the desire to own their own lives, immigration, the isolation of individuals brought about by urbanization, can be counted. Although the idea that approximately one out of every six serial killers is a woman contradicts the elegant nature of women, it is a fact. The belief that there would be no threat from women initially misled the researchers. However, both genders have a structure that can perform the same action. In this chapter, information about serial killers is given and their criminal behavior and patterns are revealed.