01:202:324 Lecture 13: Violent crime 4.18.2016
13 May 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Serial murder: the killing of several victims over a period of time. It is popularly believed that multiple murderers are mentally ill. In many cases, psychiatrists have indeed found severe pathology- yet juries are reluctant to find these offenders not guilty by reason of insanity. Criminologists jack levin and james fox do not agree with the hypothesis that all mass and serial murderers are mentally diseased and therefore, illegally insane. On the contrary, they say serial killers are sociopaths. Sociopaths lack internal controls, disregard common values, and have an intense desire to dominate others. Psychological characteristics alone cannot explain the actions of these people. They are also influenced by the social environment in which they function.
