A clinical psychiatrist and neuropsychiatrist in Kentfield, CA, Stephen Raffle, MD, specializes in medical-legal issues. His expert opinion has been given in over 800 trials and depositions, and approximately half of his practice involves forensic psychiatric opinions in legal matters. In a 2018 interview conducted by Experts.com, Stephen Raffle, MD, offered insight into the psychological attributes that serial killers commonly share.

1. Some Commonly
Shared
Psychological
Attributes of
Serial Murderers
Stephen
Raffle MD

2. Introduction
 A clinical psychiatrist and
neuropsychiatrist in Kentfield, CA,
Stephen Raffle, MD, specializes in
medical-legal issues. His expert opinion
has been given in over 800 trials and
depositions, and approximately half of his
practice involves forensic psychiatric
opinions in legal matters. In a 2018
interview conducted by Experts.com,
Stephen Raffle, MD, offered insight into
the psychological attributes that serial
killers commonly share.
Common characteristics of serial killers
include a history of childhood sexual
abuse, a predilection for violence, drug
and/or alcohol abuse, and obsessiveness.
The ritualistic actions serial killers
engage in often reflect unconscious needs
or conflicts, illuminating why the victims
of their crimes are often prostitutes or
other specific categories of people.

3. MentalHealth
 Perpetrators of serial murder have an
understanding of the wrongness, or
illegality, of the acts they commit as
evidenced by the steps they take to
avoid apprehension. They knowingly
glean personal satisfaction at the
victim’s expense and are cunning in
their efforts to avoid capture.
While psychological disorders such as
borderline personality disorder,
sadomasochism, and antisocial
personality disorder may be present,
the ritualism involved in the acts does
not reflect legal insanity. Because serial
killers do not understand the
underlying causes of their behavior,
they are unlikely to change and stop
committing crimes.