The goal of this research is to abstract psychological themes from interviews which were held with people who have committed serial murder. This research thus contributes to a better understanding of the phenomenon of serial murder, which occurs from time to time in communities. Serial murder is operationally defined as three or more seemingly unmotivated murders. Four people who met the operational definition and criteria of serial murder were identified to participate in this research. The research is based on the principles of Grounded Theory and the themes are presented in a descriptive manner. Different theoretical perspectives, which serve as explanation for serial murder, are presented as a point of departure. These explanations are eventually tentatively integrated with the results. Some of the most important themes that have emerged are: these persons display a dependent personality structure with underlying anxiety; these person come across as reasonably normal without indications of severe pathology; these persons have an incapacity to form meaningful relationships; and there is a possibility that these persons grew up in a psychologically deprived environment. Simultaneously, despite the fact that these findings may lead to generalization, the unique composition of each individual who has committed serial murder is advocated and categorization is avoided. AFRIKAANS : Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om sielkundige temas uit onderhoude, met persone wat reeksmoord gepleeg het, te abstraheer. Die navorsing kan sodoende hydra tot 'n beter begrip van die fenomeen reeksmoord, wat van tyd tot tyd in gemeenskappe voorkom. Vier persone, wat aan die navorsing se operasionele definisie en kriteria vir reeksmoord voldoen, is geïdentifiseer en het aan die navorsingsprojek deelgeneem. Die navorsing geskied volgens die beginsels van Grounded Theory en die temas word beskrywend aangebied. As vertrekpunt word verskeie teoretiese perspektiewe as verklarings rakende reeksmoord aangebied. Hierdie verklarings word uiteindelik op 'n tentatiewe wyse met die bevindinge geïntegreer. Van die belangrikste temas wat na vore gekom het is dat die persone 'n afhanklike persoonlikheidstruktuur openbaar met onderliggende angs, dat die persone redelik normaal voorkom sander aanduidings van ernstige patologie, dat die persone 'n onvermoe het om betekenisvolle verhoudinge te kweek, en 'n moontlikheid dat die persone in 'n arm sielkundige omgewing groot geword het. Ten spyte van die feit dat sekere van die bevindinge tot veralgemening mag lei, word die unieke samestelling van elke individu wat reeksmoord gepleeg het bepleit en word kategorisering vermy. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Psychology / unrestricted

The research aimed to explore the phenomenon of serial murder from a systems theory perspective. The purpose of the study was to develop an understanding of serial murder in a South African context from a family systems approach. Utilizing a family systems theoretical framework and the genogram method, the study, which was qualitative in nature, explored information about the family systems of individuals who committed serial murder via content analysis. The investigation focused mainly on emotional processes, multigenerational and relationship patterns in family systems. Information was gathered from numerous sources and included interviews conducted inter alia with individuals currently incarcerated for serial murder and their family members, and with professionals involved with such individuals; as well as information obtained from clinical observations and archival data. The results of the content analysis demonstrated considerable similarities but also differences in the organization and functioning of the family systems of individuals who committed serial murder. Importantly, the analysis shed novel theoretical light on the role of serial murder within family systems and challenged established dominant theoretical perspectives on serial murder that have emphasized linear, causal and/or individual-focused explanations. The study opened up considerable opportunities for further exploration of the phenomenon from a systemic perspective, specifically with the focus on the meaning of serial murder in relatively smaller (e.g., parent-child or peer relationships) or larger (e.g., political, cultural and societal) systems. It also provided opportunities for alternative vistas from which the phenomenon of serial murder can be viewed in terms of theoretical, definitional, typological, investigative and correctional approaches. / Thesis (PhD (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences / Department of Sociology

The subject of this diploma thesis is "Methodology of Murder Investigation (Selected Problems)". Because this is a very wide subject, it is not within the diplomate's reach to cover the matter completely enough for a diploma thesis and the thesis therefore focuses on the methodology of the investigation of serial murders. The first chapter is devoted to defining the term "serial murder" and the differentiation between serial, mass and spree killers is explained. The legal classification of serial killing within Czech criminal law is briefly outlined. The second chapter focuses on criminal character. It examines the typical characteristics of serial killers, their biological and social preconditions, the psychology behind a first murder and the profile of the serial killer. Further, the separation of serial killers into the organized and unorganized is shown, including characteristic features. From the perspective of criminal characterization, the work further discusses victims of serial killings, with an emphasis on themes of the methods of perpetration. Within this, differences between the terms ‚modus operandi' and ‚signature' are explained. The individual phases of killing are determined. Murder weapons, as well as classifications of the scenes of crimes and serial killers according to mobility...

This thesis explores the notion that we may be able to more fully understand the etiology of serial murder. Specifically, it concludes that the behaviours of serial murderers can be allegorical of unresolved childhood trauma - that in the murderous actions of the adult there can be a depth of subconscious allegorical connection to the repressed (forgotten) and unresolved trauma of the murderer's own childhood. The focus for this hermeneutic inquiry is the intersection that can be constructed between the phenomenon of serial murder and the assertion of the psychoanalyst Alice Miller that every perpetrator of violence was once a child who was (himself or herself) a victim. Alice Miller's concept of Poisonous Pedagogy is explained and critiqued. Her belief that our childhoods tell the stories of our adult behaviours is questioned in light of the similar theoretical ground of Life History, Life Narrative, Psychobiography, and Psychoanalytic Narrative. Miller's contention that there are directly allegorical connections between childhood abuse and adult murderous behaviours is illustrated by her analysis of the life of Jurgen Bartsch. A hermeneutic examination of the biographic records of two other serial murderers (Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy) is then undertaken to question the available support for Miller's contentions It is concluded that there is strong support for Miller's assertions regarding the etiology of violence, and that violent adult behaviour, even serial murder, can be allegorical of unresolved childhood trauma. It is suggested that there is a need to extend this area of research through face-to-face engagement with perpetrators of violence. It is recommended that we directly engage serial murderers in personal discourses that will allow further exploration of Miller's notion that serial murderers' behaviours are allegorical echoes of harm that was done to them.

The subject of this diploma thesis is "The specificity of serial murders and their investigation". This diploma thesis focuses on the delimitation of serial murders, the typical way of committing serial murders, the criminalistic characterisation of serial killers as well as the methodology of such murders. The first chapter of the diploma thesis is dedicated to the definition of the term "serial murders" itself and simultaneously to the terms "mass and murderous wave". In the second chapter the aim is, primarily, to briefly analyse the legal classification of serial murders in the meaning of the Czech Criminal Code. This part of the diploma thesis also focuses on the differences between common murder, deliberate murder, murder with prior consideration and the typicalness of serial murders. The third chapter lays out different ways of committing serial murders from the view of preparatory action. Murder weapons and the mechanism of killing are also described in this part of the diploma thesis as well as the diplomant's own research on these topics based on the sample of 44 serial killers. The issue of the culprits of serial murders, especially the matter of their organisation and motive, is described in the fourth chapter. Furthermore, the culprits are divided into categories such as sexual serial...

My diploma thesis deals with the behavioural analysis and perpetrators of serial, mass and sexually motivated murders issue. The behavioural analysis is built upon bases of different methods of criminal profiles formation - psychological profiling. Following the historical outset of the criminal profile, the method of the behavioural analysis and its particular components are introduced and discussed. The components are described through optic of the most commonly used typologies, e.g. perpetrators typologies, scenes of delict, victims and murders. Hereafter I pursue issue of criminal profiling utilization in practise, particularly perpetrator profile creation, crime linking and threat assessment. The last part dedicated to the behavioural analysis consists of behavioural analysis historical development in the Czech Republic and reflection of potential future development of this issue. The second part of my diploma thesis is focused on serial murder and serial perpetrator. The definition of multiple murder and differentiation from its individual types is given. The following part comprises of introduction of the most common myths and stereotypes ingrained in the society and through statistics their creation and falseness is explained. The phenomenon of the hypothetical murderer is reached through...

The Issue of an Offender's Personality in Criminology In my diploma thesis, I have focused on the offender's personality in Criminology. Even though the personality of each person is individual, it still has some features that are common to more offenders. By describing these characteristics and factors, I tried to find the answer to the question whether a person is predestined to be a killer or whether it depends on our decisions. In connection with this, I was asking myself whether it is possible to know in advance that someone has a predisposition to be a killer or whether murder can be prevented. Can we choose our destiny? The diploma thesis is divided into two parts. After defining the basic concepts, in the second chapter I describe the offender's personality from the point of view of psychology, criminology and criminal law. In the third chapter I provide an overview of criminological theories, formed during the development of criminology, where a divergence from the conception of born criminal is perceptible. The fourth chapter is devoted to individual types of offenders and is complemented by chapter five that deals with factors that affect criminal behaviour. The second part of my work is divided into five chapters, where the chapter six and seven deal with a murder and a personality of...

Thesis (M A(Social Work and Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

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