Toates: Sexual serial killers & The motivation underlying serial lust killing Flashcards
motivation driving serial lust killers
usually due to the interplay between sexual desire and the need for dominance. these drives can merge to fuel violent sexual behaviour. sexual desire arises from various factors like attraction, imagination, physical traits and hormonal influences. this desire can become particularly intense in individuals who persue novelty and frequent new partners. then this drive becomes combined with a dominance motive, aimed at extering power over others, often manifesting as aggression.
sexual serial killers=
when motivations blend sexual pleasure with violence and dominance. a desire for dominance expressed as aggression merges with sexual desire to produce violent sexual acts.
they do not tend to act senselessly, rather planning out a lot of their actions and justifying them (revenge or righting an injustice)
especially lust killing often has a clear purpose, and shows considerably intelligent planning
often seemingly devoted family men, who commit extreme acts, challenging the assumption that they are merely senseless crimes. instead it suggest that these actions are often well-planned.
lust killing=
when violence is a means to sexual satisfaction, often enhanced by the victims suffering.
serial killers with sexual motives=
only a small subset of killers, but distinctive for their methodical approaches and cooling-off periods between killings. though some engage in a cycle of planning and reliving the act, which can become more habitual. they often keep “souvenirs” or visit crime scenes to relive their actions, reinforcing their deviant behaviour and heightened self-esteem.
examples of killers
- John Bunting: targeted those he misidentified as pedophiles
- Dean Corll: tortued his victims as an expression of sexual frustration
killers motivations examples
desire for control, revenge, sexual gratification, a personal mission, grudge, curiosity, relieving boredom/excitement/thrill-seeking. serial killers sometimes mimic authority figues or celebrities, revealing a need for recognition and validation. some (like israel keyes) view killing as a form of thrill-seeking or an adrenaline rush, whilst others attribute their actions to sexual fantasies or other external triggers.
mad or bad dichotomy
argues that serial killers are often not insane but driven by specific motives shaped by their social and biological environments. this can explain why certain societies produce more serial killers, and how these individual and environmental influences can create motivations that override typical social and moral restraints
dominance drive=
potentially unconscious, with dominance-seeking individuals experiencing reward in their victims fear and submission, along with a surge in testosterone.
waar zie je dominance drive veel
this pattern is common among violent offenders and can foster repeated aggressive acts.
hoe onstaat die dominance drive
humiliation, past rejection or abuse can intensify the need for dominance, with aggression restoring a sense of control or psychological balance.
differences and similarities between heterosexual and homosexual lust killers
similar: past experiences of humiliation or abuse can trigger aggression in both directions
differences: heterosexual killers often bear gredges against women, homosexual killers might seek revenge against perceived societal rejection
two types of aggression in lust killers
- affective aggression (hot-blooded): impulsive and emotionally driven, often triggered by an immediate threat or frustration. sympathetic nervous system
- predatory aggression (cold-blooded): planned, with the killer methodically seeking out and stalking a victim as a target. parasympathetic nervous system, focused, resist distractions. this is particularily in psychopaths and sexual serial killers
both are under the control of dopamine. sexual desire merged with domination leads to novelty and uncertainty.
a lust killer may fluctuate between these aggression types, driven by arousal and frustration, influenced by memories of past humiliations or anger towards society. for some, these desires may be triggered by intense negative emotions or stress, such as a recent conflict or feelings of rejection, making them more prone to violence.
brain processes in lust killers
the ‘go-system’ of the brain is activated by dopamine in response to desired rewards like sex, dominance or aggression. for lust killers, this system becomes hypersensitive to cues that trigger sexual and aggressive urges, reinforcing their behaviour through repeated rewarding experiences. cross-linkages between sexual desire and aggression further compound this pattern, leading to escalating urges over time.
gender differences
serial lust killing is predominantly male-driven, may be due to biological and social factors like testosterone and societal norms around violence and sexual expression
drugs and psychosis
are exacerbating factors that can heighten aggression, reduce inhibitions and potentially trigger psychotic behaviours, creating an altered sense of reality for some killers.
