Are serial killers created by nature or nurture

[Evelphys]

Hi,

I’m writing my epq and was wondering if anyone had any ideas on whether they think serial killers were born so ; psychological aspects or whether the way they were brought up lead to them committing the crimes that they did.

search on google scholar for research on heritability of 'psychopathic traits' and 'callous unemotional traits'. and read it carefully.

I am fascinated by true crime (guilty pleasure that I am not proud of as it feels like voyeurism, but therapists have told me I am trying to make sense of what happened to me, so I allow myself to indulge it).

Everything I have consumed about serial killers says both nature and nurture. Genetic and psychological predisposition plus childhood trauma and abuse. Actually it's terrifying how much influence a parent's actions can have.

Also, killers have a higher than average likelihood of having suffered a head injury during childhood, suggesting some level of brain damage in some of them.

The one thing that all SK's share is a visceral desire for power and control.

I read somewhere that psychopaths are born and sociopaths are made. Having said that it's possible to be a psychopath and not kill people and lead a relatively normal life from what I understand. I don't know in the case of sociopaths though.
I think being born with little empathy and low remorse are big factors and from the 'I am a killer' show on Netflix it seems that almost all the killers there had abusive childhoods, in some cases horrifically abusive.

I know this is low-brow fiction, but I had various moments on this subject during Happy Valley. The scenes where it's clear that Tommy genuinely believes he was showing love, and just has no idea of the difference between caring for someone and horrific violence. It's so complex how these wires because crossed.

I think this is why you get some utterly despicable wealthy people. Because of the opportunities they have had access to, and money available to smooth over their transgressions, their physcopathic tendencies are channelled into positions of power and authority.

I should’ve been more specific on this sorry - this is only my primary research meaning this information is to just gather different peoples perspectives on my topic whether it being questionnaires etc . My secondary research has already been conducted using articles etc!

Thanks for your input! I’ll definitely have a look at what you suggested. Currently I’ve gathered all my research for my epq and have come to the conclusion that nurture is the more signifiant factor and have tried to relate it back to my A - levels ( biology and geography ). It seems as though westernisation and globalisation have played a massive factor in not only spreading awareness of what serial killers are but in manipulating how serial killers in areas all over the world have came to be.

This question was just for my primary research! I was recommended this website by a teacher because need to gather peoples opinion on the matter.

I think a lot of it is nurture triggering something that is already there. A person from my town is a murder , their other siblings are in prison for other violent crimes. Its not a coincidence that they all had a horrific childhood full of abuse. Something happens to these people that makes them this way.

Your teacher recommended that you poll MN on whether nature or nurture are biggest influence on the making of serial killers?!!

I'm confused. What is the purpose of your primary research?

You say that your conclusion is that nurture is the most significant factor, so presumably your epq is examining evidence for how both nature and nurture affect someone becoming a serial killer. How is your primary research linked to to your essay's argument?

The opinions of the woman on the Clapham omnibus won't tell you anything about whether nature or nurture is the most important factor or give you anything to support your conclusion of your essay. We aren't (hopefully) serial killers, or mothers of serial killers, nor psychologists, neuroscientists, sociologists, criminologists... Well, some of us might work in those professions or have studied them but you haven't asked us that so you have no idea whether the person posting has any knowledge or expertise on the subject. A survey of people with no expertise nor personal experience of the subject isn't really going to tell you anything that helps your argument.

Maybe you need to rethink your primary research?

Unless you are actually a psychology student and this is a very clever experiment 😂

have come to the conclusion that nurture is the more signifiant factor

Be careful with this kind of conclusion. It's unhelpful with something like serial killers. Because both are likely to be very significant. Therefore separating them isn't useful.

A bit like saying vinaigrette is made of oil and vinegar but oil is the more significant ingredient (because there's more of it). When actually vinaigrette cannot exist without both. It's simply that both are essential and therefore neither is more significant.

More food analogies. I must be hungry.

Sorry, I hope that wasn't too harsh, @Evelphys 😂

Good luck with your epq!

this 👆

It's a overly simplistic view but Ted Bundy with his 180 IQ could have been the CEO of any massive US company had he not been battered from the day he was born by his Grandfather.

Sociopathy is genetic, psychopathy a mixture of horrific circumstances.

Honestly I'm hoping the teacher isn't one of those plonkers who thinks MN is just a gossip site for bored mummies with empty heads. Like, oooo poll MN for the lowest common denominator opinions.

OP the women here are typically very well informed and intelligent so you are more likely to get study suggestions than 'reckons'. Try Twatter or Reddit.

Oh absolutely, @MrsTerryPratchett, there are plenty of well informed and intelligent women on MN who could help OP with study suggestions. Whether they should or whether that is cheating is another matter 😂But OP isn't asking for help with research with secondary research ie asking for pointers to research that has already been done. She says she is conducting primary research ie collecting original data on the subject.

I'm not sure what useful data OP can gather on the subject of whether nature or nurture have the greatest influence on serial killers by asking the opinion of strangers on the internet, especially as she hasn't asked for any information about responders. I could go out on the street and ask people whether they think leeks can cure cancer but what would analysing that data tell me about whether leeks can cure cancer?

I don't think OP is going to be able to gather any useful data on here that supports her argument. At least, not with the question she has posed. TBH, I'm not sure that her essay is one that lends itself to primary research for an epq as she would need to gather data from serial killers or people who work with serial killers to be able to learn/conclude anything meaningful.

I have a feeling that OP's teacher may have told the class that MN is a useful site for conducting primary research rather than advising OP that it would be a good place for research on her subject.

I don't think primary research is compulsory for the epq. Maybe OP needs to discuss this further with her teacher. If it isn't compulsory, it would be far worse to include irrelevant research/data purely for the sake of doing primary research.

Why on earth have you asked here?

It's not Family Fortunes' 'Survey Says'

Hey dym sharing ur EPQ ideas n structure I’m struggling

Well how long have you bloody got

It's the oldest discussion in the books

I was recommended this website by a teacher because need to gather peoples opinion on the matter

^

Did she aye.

What about survey monkey?

Definitely both, but requires more research, and not on MN.

Till next weekend

@RyukShad0w are you the OP? Or are you struggling with your own EPQ?

Struggling with my own EPQ

“There are studies that show the prevalence of pyschopathy is higher in certain professions, Mrs Terry Pratchett. Surgeons, bankers, CEOs, off the top of my head.”

What about politicians?

Society is obsessed with Serial Killers on a cultural level. Netflix has Hannibal running, for example, and “we Need to talk about Kevin“ is an interesting book. Most repeat serial killers also have very high IQs like Ted Bundy. There is also the God Complex or the regaining power through murder complex - the abused Child regains power.

And then there is Lucy Letby. Also a serial killer, in a different form. Apparently she was also a poorly baby.

I suspect all serial killers are insane but what triggers them need not be horrendeous abuse. That wasn’t the case for Lucy Letby. What does nurture even mean? Does being spoilt rotten by your parents count?

I remember reading somewhere that all serial killers display psychopathic/sociopathic traits but that not all psycho/sociopath go on to commit acts of violence.

I agree that it is likely to be a combination of personality traits and the environment that the person grows up in that causes this.

Okay, @RyukShad0w. You need to start your own thread otherwise people will read the OP and answer OP's question about psychopaths rather than give you general advice about how to get started with your EPQ, find resources on how to structure it, inspiration for subjects etc or whatever your question is.

Go to the Chat or Secondary Education topic or whichever topic you think is most appropriate and start your own thread.

Good luck!