What makes a serial killer, nature or nurture?

[Deleted member 581347]

There's got to be some reason.
Nothing happens for no reason.

There have been several that claim they were raised in a loving home -
Bundy, Dahmer and Rader.

 

[chill doggie]

Look up child killers. Theres some kids that have loving families that just straight up trh to off their brother or friends etc for no reason. Its terrifying actually.

You’re right, like that little british boy that killed other kids.
I think sometimes it’s nature, sometimes nurture, most of the time both?

 

[Provocateur]

I'm traumatized just looking at all that...

You're the main person in these parts I'd expect to become a serial killer.

 

[Plissken]

You can be born with mental illnesses that can lead to maliciousness, but it takes a "special" kind of upbringing to warp them to murderous and sadist tendencies. 70/30 would be the minimum, I'd likely say nurture should be a higher number, closer to ninety something since serial killers are such a rarity but mental illnesses are not.

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

IMO mostly Nature. Born with that urge.

 

[dildos]

Interesting.

I think safe bet is 50/50.

these people have it in them from birth imo to be a sick twisted person, but I think others can experience things in life abuse (mental/physical/sexual), neglect, manipulation/coercion and what have you which can also shape you to become a serial killer.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

Obviously both, right? I mean, does anyone actually think there is a gene for controlling whether or not you’re a serial killer, a gene controlling whether you’re gay, etc? That would make no evolutionary sense.

Obviously genes control certain behavioral dispositions in some way, either by just instructing the brain to be constructed a certain way, or by other means. And even more obviously, your experiences play a big part in shaping your personality. And that plays a major role. More than people often think. What researches have found is that the brain is more like an etch-a-sketch, where it can be shaken up and synapses completely rerouted, vs a computer in which the hardware and firmware remain static, it the software can be changed (I know you can update firmware too).

 

[rearnakedchoke]

50/50

Yeah. But 50 nature/50 nurture or 50 nurture/50 nature?

 

[JSN]

There is no set answer you're going find. People who study development are generally going to tell you, though, that nature tends to slightly predominate for personality quirks unless you're exposed to extreme circumstances. Then all bets are off. There are cultures where being a murderer is completely the norm because society demands it and/or resources are so scarce.

 

[eternaldarkness]

You're the main person in these parts I'd expect to become a serial killer.

You would be right, but I'm to nice a person. I would have to kill drug dealers or something.

 

[DarthChen731]

Hard to hit it with a % but for sure a bit of both.

 

[Jesus X]

mods please move this thread with the "cover up a smell" thread to the serial killer sub forum.

 

[Jesus X]

I think either nature or nurture could develop a serial killer or both combined because some serial killers were raised rich and in supposedly normal families and some where doomed from the start like richard ramirez.

 

[Mike]

Most human behavior is a mix of both. it's far too variable from person to person for me to pick an arbitrary number though.

 

[Jesus X]

BTK had a good life his whole life

https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/serial-killers-who-came-from-good-homes

 

[Mike]

There have been several that claim they were raised in a loving home -
Bundy, Dahmer and Rader.

Dahmer had abandonment/neglect issues and was abusing alcohol by the time he was an adolescent.

 

[thoughtsone]

I was learning about serial killers on some podcasts and most of them had some head trauma or brain injury at some point, and then most had that included with a fucked up upbringing. So I am going to say mostly nature with a side of nurture.

 

[deadshot138]

I got a few chapters into that book The Anatomy of Violence-it is quite eye-opening, but it started to read like a bit like a science paper and i lost interest in continuing. What is detailed is the behavioural changes, inclining people towards violent and pyschopathic behaviour, that are the results of very slight abnormalities to brain matter which can be caused by trauma or genetically inherited.

Anatomy of Violence or Anatomy of Evil? Anatomy of Evil had some sick shit in it.

 

[Deleted member 457759]

It's a combination of the two almost always, but I lean towards genetics being the larger factor.

Guys like Dalmer had dysfunctional parents but they didn't abuse him. He started to be fascinated with death at a very young age.

 

[Horus88]

The environment plays a huge part on mental issues