Serial killers often have traumatic childhoods involving domineering mothers and absent or weak fathers. They frequently show early signs such as torturing small animals and having an interest in violence. While portrayed as insane, most serial killers understand their actions and lack empathy, though their motives can include sexual gratification, delusions, a desire for attention, or thrill-seeking. Common traits include torturing animals as children, abnormal strength, social rejection, turning violence and control into thrills.

1. Serial Killers
• Serial killers have been portrayed as antagonists in popular media.
• However, there are protagonists that have been portrayed as
anti-heroes.
– Examples of this are Showtime's “Dexter” And Norman
Bates in “Psycho”.
» Some of the most popular fictional killers are based
off of real serial killers. For example, Buffalo Bill is a
combination of Ted Bundy and Ed Gein. Bundy
would lure women to his car by feigning injury, Then
knock them unconscious. Gein Murdered and stole
bodies of women from grave yards in an attempt to
make a Woman Suit that looked like his mother.

2. Psychology
• Serial Killers are often considered to be insane, but
insane would imply that they do not know what they are
doing. Most are not insane, they just do not understand
or care what death means.
– Most tortured small animals as a child. They would
also play out their own execution.
• Serial killers lack empathy or compassion.
– Most had a rough upbringing. You will find that
a most had a domineering mother, and a weak
or absent father.
» Calm in a crisis.

3. Traits
-Awful childhood.
-Domineering mother, Weak or absent father
-Tortured animals, Dennis Rader was known to hang stray cats as a child. Ted
Bundy surrounded his sleeping mother with knives at the age of three.
-Abnormal Strength, serial killers such as Kemper or Bianchi were known to
have this trait.
-Frequent alchohol and/or drug abuse.
-Chronic Social Rejection. May have lack of success with women or men.
-Sexual frustration. May have never engaged in the act.
-Turned on by violence and fire.
-Need for power and control.

4. Motives
• There are several motives for serial killers, some more clear than
others.
– The most common motive is sexual. Serial killers tend to be
aroused by violence and death. This is because killing gives a
sense of power and control.
– Some killers are Paranoid Schizophrenics & are delusional.
– Many have killed for attention to overcome feelings of
lonliness and isolation. Most of these types send letters
to police and news outlets.
» Thrill seeking. Few find killing to be the ultimate thrill
of all.