The Psychological Profile Of The Murderer, In 6 Typical Traits
Murder is one of the most serious crimes that human beings can commit, and yet one of the oldest. From prehistory to the present day, cases have been found of people who have decided to end the lives of other people in a premeditated manner. In fact, remains of massacres from more than 9,000 years ago have been found.
What characteristics does a murderer have? Although there are a large number of causes or aspects that can mediate a person’s decision to take the life of another, it is not likely to establish a clear and universal profile for all murderers (there is a wide variety of possible profiles and typologies of murderers). ), in this article we try to outline a generic psychological profile regarding the topic.
We call murder the act by which a person intentionally takes the life of another, the act involving treachery, cruelty or compensation for carrying out the act. In the event that none of the three previous circumstances appear we would be talking about a homicide Murder implies premeditation and the existence of some type of motivation on the part of the causative agent to cause death. Said agent causing death through murder is called a murderer.
Murder is a crime of blood sanctioned by law and can carry penalties ranging from prison to capital punishment, depending on the legislation of the territory in which the accused is tried.
The reasons that lead a person to kill another They can be very varied, from revenge to obtaining resources. There are many types of murderers and murders depending on the motive for the crime, the way it was carried out, the number of people murdered or even the type of relationship established between victim and executioner. All of this means that a specific profile must be created for each case, and different characteristics can be found in each type of crime.
Psychological profile of the murderer: common characteristics
It is extremely difficult to establish a general psychological profile of the figure of the murderer, especially taking into account the great variety in terms of the possible causes of murderous behavior.
Despite this, below are some traits and characteristics that tend to be met in a large proportion of cases
1. View of the other as the cause of damage, threat or obstacle
Although the specific causes may be many, as a general rule the person who commits a murder sees his victim as someone who has caused him harm poses a threat to your integrity or status or that of a loved one or represents an obstacle to achieving a certain goal.
It can also be a premeditated act of violence against someone who resembles a person who has caused harm to the murderer, or even to satisfy a need with which the subject in principle has nothing to do.
2. High score in psychopathy
There are cases of murders that are committed against people who have no relationship with the murderer, as occurs in many cases of serial killers or in cases in which the murderer is a hitman hired to end a person’s life.
However, the vast majority of murders that can be observed are carried out between people who know each other or whose environment is linked, even if their contact has been circumstantial. This means that the murderer has the ability to distance himself emotionally from the victim, which fits a psychological profile with a high degree of psychopathy
Apparently, the personality of most murderers does not usually have great particularities that make them different from the rest of the population. The act of murder is not limited to a psychic structure that makes the person stand out for the type of social skills they have.
4. In many cases, low level of assertiveness
Although they generally have normal behavior, in many cases the murder occurs as a result of the birth of aggression towards a specific person due to variable circumstances. The murderer is not capable of managing the situation in any other way than with murder, or despite conceiving the situation in another way gives priority to causing the death of the future victim
5. There is not necessarily a mental disorder
Socially, there is the idea of identifying murder with the presence of psychopathology. However, in general this is not the case. Normally the majority of murders are caused by people considered mentally healthy some of the most frequent being hate crimes, crimes of passion or those linked to economic or resource aspects.
An exception can be found in serial killers, who tend to suffer from extreme psychopathy, sociopathy or different disorders that alter the perception of reality.
6. Gender and age
In general the murderers They are usually young or middle-aged men, although numerous cases of female murderers and even child murderers can also be found. Traditionally, men tend to use more aggressive methods such as knives or guns, while women tend to use less visible methods such as poisoning, although these trends appear to be less pronounced over time.
Serial killers: profile and common characteristics
There are many types of murderers and murders, but one of those that has traditionally attracted the most attention due to its crudeness and the high number of victims it leaves in its wake is that of the serial killer or serial killer
A serial killer is considered any individual who takes the lives of at least three people intentionally and generally with premeditation in a specific period of time, with said murders being separated from each other.
This typology of murderers can also show great heterogeneity in terms of their characteristics, but they usually share common elements. Among them, the following stand out, which are mostly shared with people with psychopathy.
1. Lack of empathy
The serial killer usually uses murder as an instrument to obtain a benefit, for ideological reasons, or with the intention of venting a specific frustration or fantasy. As a general rule He doesn’t tend to know how to put himself in his victim’s shoes, mostly lacking empathy. A large part of them can be classified as psychopaths and among their motivations there is a strange vision of reality, removed from hegemonic ideologies.
2. They tend to give the appearance of normality
With some exceptions, in general the serial killer does not show strange elements in his behavior that lead one to think about the possibility that they are one.
3. Choice of vulnerable victims
Generally, the serial killer chooses victims who may be vulnerable to his actions because he considers them weaker. or that can be manipulated in some way to leave them in a situation of submission. This is done to notice that you have control at all times.
4. They can be manipulative and even seductive
Many serial killers have a high capacity for manipulation and seduction, using these skills to achieve approach their victims easily and without excessive resistance It is common for them to establish relationships with some ease, although in general these relationships are superficial.
5. Aversive source environment
A large number of serial killers They come from unstructured families or environments, with a high level of violence. Many of them have suffered various types of abuse throughout their lives that make it difficult to acquire empathy and concern for their environment.
