Sexual passion and anthropology

This anthropological article, by Victoria K. Burbank, explores the roots of serial sex murderers and sexual passion. The implication of the power of culture on our lifestyles, and the understanding through anthropological technics are at hand. The article is based on a comparison made between the Western serial sex killer and the Arnhem Land sorcerer. Intercultural beliefs are studied and compared, human development is observed and sexual passion are defined. What is it that makes a serial sex killer become this violent human being? How can culture structures influence such a person? Certainly, facts can be analyzed to obtain a better understanding of where crime comes from and why does it act the way it does. For the complete article, go to:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/640650

Or find the book, Ethos, Vol. 28, No. 3  (Sep., 2000), pp. 410-444, in which the article, "The Lust to Kill" and the Arnhem Land Sorcerer: An Exercise in Integrative Anthropology, is found.

Written by Aimée Pocock

Women genocide

This article offers a different perspective on serial murderers. In comparison to other articles, this one discusses the sexual politics when it comes to murder. The question is asked wither women are the main target in homicides and why. The author writes about feminists who have claimed that murderous crimes are a type of genocide against the women because they are the majority of the victims. This article explores cases to form a base of data to know if in fact women are being overly targeted. The cases analyzed are the ones of Hedda Nussbaum, who was gravely beaten, and of Lisa Steinberg who was murdered, of serial killer Ted Bundy and finally of various murders of women. These were all recent cases at the time of the article and they all took place in the United States. To know more about Jane Caputi and her article visit: 

http://www.jstor.org/stable/189762

Or consult The Sexual Politics of Murder, found in Gender and Society, Vol. 3, No. 4, Special Issue: Violence against Women  (Dec., 1989), pp. 437-456.

Written by Aimée Pocock

Multiple homicides

This article discusses the matter of multiple homicides in the field of criminology. In fact, it describes serial killers and mass murderers, as well as what might be the reason for one becoming such a way. According to the authors, both serial killers and mass murderers share the same ‘motivational typology’, which could be power, revenge, loyalty, profit and terror. The authors also claim that these type of killers are often sociopaths that need to achieve some kind of goal, personal needs, by committing violent killings. The distinction between the two categories (serial vs. mass murderer), is made with a description of both and its relevance. Finally, the authors mention the negative influence that the media has on the delivery of this type of information, stating that they only produce more unnecessary fear and human destruction. For further details and more relevant data, read the full article Multiple Homicide: Patterns of Serial and Mass Murder, by James Alan Fox and Jack Levin, or consult the document at:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1147545

Written by Aimée Pocock

Sadism and Loneliness

In this article, the author, Willhem Martens, makes links between loneliness and sadism in serial killers. To do so, he studies the famous case of Jeffrey Dahmer. He studies killing as a result of envy and shame/rage mechanisms. He also considers the development of self. Martens also makes links between fear felt by serial killers and the need to feel powerful and superior, going through their feeling or inferiority that comes from childhood. The concept of love is also a factor in serial killers' life according to him. In fact, the lack of love and acceptance in society can lead to deviance. Martens also studies the need to transfer tension on someone or something else, in relationship with the sadistic fantasies. He also studies parenting and distortion, linking these factors to criminal behaviour. After defining sadism and loneliness and linking his research to the DSM-IV, Martens examines the case of Jeffrey Dahmer by explaining it in details, going through his disorders, needs to kill and cannibalism. To read the full article, visit: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a5d8dccb-ccd3-4e49-82c9-c36d4f6aecfa%40sessionmgr4004&vid=19&hid=4206

Written by Laurie St-Pierre

A Sociological Perspective of Serial Killing

This paper is based upon the question "what are the main sociological causes for deviant criminal behaviour among serial killers?". The author, Daniel Larson, starts by establishing the definition of a serial killer, which is "the serial murderer is defined as someone, depending on the number of victims, period of time, and reason for homicide, who kills more than four people in a seventy-two-hour time frame". He then defines socialization as a factor to becoming a serial killer. He talks about disturbed childhood that leads to deviance. He explains that most of the serial killers we know have been victims of child abuse, lack of support from parents, substance abuse, and mainly sexual abuse. He also studies the psychological aspect of deviance. He explains some of the main psychological disorders often seen in serial killers and their impacts on their life. He also links these disorders to the up bringing of a person, which is an important factor in developing them. He also makes links between deviant behaviour and social control theory, neutralization theory and labelling theory. He explains the different causes that lead to crime and deviance through these theories. 

To read the full paper, visit: 
http://www.sociology.uiowa.edu/newsoc/awards/papers/larsond.htm

Written by Laurie St-Pierre

Women's Implication in Serial Killing

Women's implication in single homicide is quite rare and their implication in serial killing is very rare. The usual perpetrators of serial killings are white males, intelligent with sadistic tendencies. However, this article published in the Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health journal focuses on female serial killers. The goal of the researchers Andreas Frei, Birgit Vollm, Marc Graf and Volker Dittmann was to consider female serial killers and the relevant cases that occurred in the past. They studied the different patterns and motives of homicides. They noticed a certain repetition in female offences, which is the material gain. They also noticed that extrinsic gratification, hedonistic sadistic or sexual offender was extremely not represented by the female community. Their conclusion was that there is no common theory of female serial killings. The only thing that seems to come back in almost every case is a psychopathic personality traits and signs of abuse in childhood experiences. 
After conducting their research, Frei, Volm, Graf and Dittmann studied a case of female serial killing, which did not fit with the 'typical' female serial killer profile they had made. The patient they studied was called PK. This woman committed crimes against strangers using violent methods. She committed her crimes in geographic areas relatively far from her home. They chose to classify PK as at the 'hedonistic' or 'power seeker' type of killer. They also suggested that she could be diagnosed with dissocial, borderline, schizoid and narcissistic personality disorders. PK was stalking and threatening random women before killing them, usually by stabbing them to death. After several evaluations, PK was reported to hate weakness, especially in women. This problem transferred in self-hatred.  She had a problem expressing feelings and she was trying to appear strong and fearless in front of the authority. 

To read more on this research, visit:  
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a5d8dccb-ccd3-4e49-82c9-c36d4f6aecfa%40sessionmgr4004&vid=7&hid=4206

Written by Laurie St-Pierre

Dexter Morgan: a "Complex and Ambiguous Meditation on Morality"

             In the series Dexter, the main character is a "normal" guy working for the Miami Police Department as a blood splatter analysis. Because of his disturbed childhood, Dexter now lives a double life. He has the need to kill people, but with the help of his foster father, he learned to control this need by killing bad person who, according to him and his father, do not deserve to live. In fact, woking for the police department, Dexter has access to all the cases of crimes. In his spare time, he deters crimes that have not been solved and kill the assaillant. Since he knows the protocole about what police are looking for on a crime scene, he is never suspected.
             This series are watched by millions of people who developed a certain respect for the character, although he is a serial killer. It creates an ambiguous reflexion about who and how people deserve to live. Dexter offers the public a clear differentiation of "good" and "bad" and makes it acceptable to be a serial killer. It forces the auditory to think about what is "normal" and what is not. The usual popular series as CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones and so on, portrait situations in which law always wins over crime, which provides a sense of security to the audience. In Dexter, we are put in a situation where we do not where the line stands between what is right and what is wrong. It brings us to wonder how could a show like this, bringing a new perception of crime, impact some peoples life.

To read the full research paper on the subject, visit:
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=a5d8dccb-ccd3-4e49-82c9-c36d4f6aecfa%40sessionmgr4004&vid=5&hid=4206&bdata=JmxvZ2luLmFzcCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmU%3d#db=a9h&AN=71885534

Written by Laurie St-Pierre