Serial offences Flashcards
Are most murders single or multiple murders? In how many events?
1 1
In general, if the person kills more than one person, they have at least __ victims
3
Mass murder, spree murder and serial murder depend on 3 factors, what are they?
Number of victims, number of locations, cooling off period
Mass murder: at least __ victims. ___ location and cooling off period of…
3
one
minutes or hours (so no cooling off period)
Spree murder: at least __ victims. ___ location and cooling off period of…
3
2+
hours to days
Serial murder: at least __ victims. ___ location and cooling off period of…
3
many locations, or always same one
weeks to years
What is a high profile case of mass murder?
Polytechnique by Marc Lepine
What are the subcategories of mass murder?
school shootings, family mass murders
What usually happens in a classic case of mass murder?
Enter public place, kill at location, strangers or people known to the victim. If strangers, not at random. Often caught because stay at the scene long enough and seen by many. Often commit suicide or killed by police.
What is the prevalence of mass murders in US?
Mass murder every two weeks
School shooting monthly
What is an exception to mass murder? Grey zone
If the plan was to kill more than 3 people, but didn’t succeed. Might still count as a mass murder.
What are predispositions? Precipitants? Facilitators? (definitions)
Particular condition, particular attitude, act in particular way
Cause or stimulus that precipitate a condition (trigger pushed perpetrator)
Something/someone makes it easier
Mass Murder:
Murders are (planned/impulsive).
There (is/is no) warning signs.
Usually (follows/ doesn’t follow) a trigger
Committed by (stranger/non-stranger)
(rarely/often) committed as a result of mental illness
planned is follows non-stranger rarely
Who is the classical offender for a mass murder?
Adolescent man, loner in high school, likely uses drugs/alcohol, almost 50% were bullied and had histories of violence. 23% had mental illness and only 1% were psychotic.
How does the media portrays offenders of mass murder?
deranged, mentally ill loners
say mental illness causes gun violence
psychiatric diagnosis can predict gun crime
gun control won’t prevent another mass shooting
mental illness is a predictor only if…
paired with another characteristic
Who are the targets of mass murder?
represents something offender hates or blames
Why do people commit mass murder? Ideas behind
usually because of depression, anger, frustration belief they won't succeed in life. Fantasies of violence or revenge Trying to create their dream world glorifies death as a mean of fame and themselves as powerful beings starting revolution provide sense of self-esteem performance of power and masculinity
What are the 5 motivations of mass murder?
power: heavily armed, create war zone
revenge:
loyalty: save them from something
profit: robbery
terror: extremists
relationships, history of bullying and victimization.
Why are spree murder a difficult category, that is even debated?
No characteristics that is exclusive to spree murder, so is it a serial mass murder? Is moving between locations a cooling off period?
What is a good Canadian example of spree murder?
Gabriel Wortman killed 22 people in 13h disguised as an RCMP person. 9 different locations.
What is a subject that is debated regarding serial murder?
What about contract killers? Where do they go?
____% of serial killers are male. Mostly (solo/accompagnied)
Race?
Victims?
83
solo
caucasian
young females, strangers.
What is a black widow? An Angel of death?
Female kills for financial gain
Nurse kills patients
Studies for female serial killers are rare and biased. Nevertheless, explain the difference between men and women: History? Accomplice? Motive? Mean? Victims? Location?
Men have a prior history, women don’t
Men are solo (75%), women are accompanied (50%)
control sex, women for $$
Firearm, stabbing, women use poison
Men kill strangers, women kill family members
men are mobile, women are in one specific place
What are the four types of serial killers? Explain each.
Visionary: voices or visions - delusional, psychotic.
Mission -oriented: eliminate undesirable effects
Hedonistic: self-gratification, lust, thrill, comfort
power/control: no sexual gratification, absolute control and dominance over victim.
What are the problems with the typology of serial killer?
- Overlap
- Failed to test multiple motivations
Explain the theory of serial homicide in your words:
1- person maybe has predisposition factors (not requires)
2- Person has traumatic events (Death, divorce, abuse)
3- person might dissociate (detach from one self, from parents)
3- Person also might have low self esteem, fantasies (manifests rejection, mistrusts, anxiety)
4- Trauma is reinforced (relationship deficiency, failed relationships, loss control, other failures) —– leads back to self esteem problems
5- Also links to increasingly violent fantasies
6- facilitators (alcohol, drugs, porn)
7- homicidal behaviours
Why do serial killers repeat?
victim rarely plays the role they wanted them to have, not as satisfying as fantasy. Recreate to obtain perfect scenario. Inactive period get shorter to get satisfaction.
