Psychological Motivations Behind Serial Killings: An Essay Analysis

This essay examines the complex motivations behind the actions of serial killers. It delves into the psychological factors that drive their behavior, including mental disorders and various orientations such as visionary, mission-oriented, and hedonistic motivations. The essay discusses how factors like hallucinations, delusions, a sense of duty, and the pursuit of pleasure influence the killers' choices. It also explores the roles of morality, ethics, religion, and substance abuse in these crimes. The essay highlights the importance of mental health evaluation and interventions to address the root causes of serial killing, emphasizing the detachment from humanity, ethics, and morality that characterizes these individuals. The essay references research to support its arguments and concludes by advocating for improved mental health care and the promotion of ethical values.

What Motivates A Serial Killer?
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WHAT MOTIVATES A SERIAL KILLER? 2
A serial killer is refers to a person who murders three or more people, and he or she is
under the influence of abnormal psychological gratification. These murders may take place over
a month with a significant period between them. Most of the authorities have a threshold of three
murders or also extend them to four but can also level them to two. Most of the serial killings
might involve some sexual contact with the victim. The murders are said to have been attempted
or completed in a similar manner. The victims might also have something in common. This
might include appearance, demographic profile or gender. A serial killer can neither be a mass
murderer nor a spree killer. Various factors motivate the serial killer to accomplish their mission.
The serial killers are mostly based on different motivations including visionary orientations,
mission-oriented, hedonistic orientations and power-seeking orientations (Herrero et al., 2017).
The visionary oriented killers can have a severe mental disorder and might have lost touch with
reality. They are also led by some hallucinations and delusions, influencing them to undertake
the murder. At times, the killers might believe that they are doing what God or the devil has told
them to do (Leary et al., 2019). Some of the killers believe that a demon might have spoken to
them and found themselves undertaking the murders. Some killers are mission-oriented, and
they are not considered psychotic. The mission-oriented killers target the people who they deem
to be undesirable. They feel that it is their justice and duty to eliminate those people (Mustafa
2018). The victims who are said to be killed by the mission-oriented serial killers are said to be
from different religious, ethnic or racial groups. The mission-oriented killers have also been
known to undertake murder based on sexual orientation and occupation. They also target
homosexuals and prostitutes. Hedonistic serial killers take some pleasure in killing and are
capable of doing anything horrific. These killers can also be termed as thrill killers. What is said
to motivate these thrill killers include inducing fear and pain (Marono et al., 2020). They live for

WHAT MOTIVATES A SERIAL KILLER? 3
the hunt and kill, and many of them strive to commit a perfect murder. These killers can go
without killing for long periods, and they always tend to refine their methods.
Some reserchers believe that serial killers have an above average IQ. However, various
studies refute the claims by noting that serial killers have an average or low IQ. Some of them
might also have some mental problems that influences them to perform the killings. Grudges
and some racial differences can also lead them to make the killing. Those who have a mental
illness have to seek medical attention. In my view, serial killers suffer from psychological and
mental problems. Serial killing can be attached to a form of mental disorder. The act of serial
killing detaches the killer from any aspects of humanity. The killer tends to ignore any aspect of
ethics and morality. Additionally, religion and cultism tend to play a role in the acts of serial
killing. Drugs and substace abuse cannot be detached from the list of various factors that
motivates serial killings. The issue can be addressed through frequent evaluation of
peoples’mental health status and dispensing the necessary measures and interventions. Morality,
ethos and humanity traits need to be instilled to people.

WHAT MOTIVATES A SERIAL KILLER? 4
References
Herrero, F. D. S., Bensusan, A. T., Montfragüe, G. M., & Delgado, C. T. (2017). The
phenomenon of serial killers from the perspective of the seven deadly sins. European
Psychiatry, 41, S585.
Leary, T., Southard, L., & Aamodt, M. (2019). Serial Killers and Intelligence Levels: Variability,
Patterns, and Motivations to Kill. North American Journal of Psychology, 21(4).
Marono, A. J., Reid, S., Yaksic, E., & Keatley, D. A. (2020). A behavior sequence analysis of
serial killers’ lives: from childhood abuse to methods of murder. Psychiatry, Psychology
and Law, 1-12.
Mustafa, M. B. (2018). Serial Killers Profiling and Target Victims: Is There a Connection?.