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Honors Thesis
A Criminological Analysis of Notorious Serial Killers in the United States
Hannah E. Booth , University of South Dakota Follow
Date of Award
Spring 5-11-2021
Document Type
Department/major.
Criminal Justice
First Advisor
Dr. Thomas Mrozla
Second Advisor
Dr. Julia Hellwege
Third Advisor
Dr. Sara Lowmaster
serial killers, serial murder, psychopathy, criminology, Ted Bundy, Dennis Rader, Aileen Wuornos, United States
Subject Categories
Criminology | Psychology | Sociology
Serial killing is a phenomenon that both fascinates and scares people. The United States has experienced several notorious serial killers that remain well-known, even years after their crimes. Serial killers are known for having many similar, but also many different traits. Ted Bundy, Dennis Rader, and Aileen Wuornos are some of America's deadliest serial killers, but each has backgrounds and traits that make them unique. This paper will provide an analysis of their psychopathic traits, and a model showing the significance of biological and environmental factors in their lives. Analyzing individual case studies for each killer will explain how their childhoods, behavior patterns, and whether they had certain disorders or traumas advance the general knowledge on serial killers from a criminological perspective. By looking at the characteristics and lifestyles of these offenders and analyzing their behavior through the Psychopath Checklist-Revised, results will illuminate if they meet the criteria of a “psychopath.” These results will help explain how both nature and nurture play a role in creating a serial killer.
Recommended Citation
Booth, Hannah E., "A Criminological Analysis of Notorious Serial Killers in the United States" (2021). Honors Thesis . 156. https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/156
Since May 13, 2021
Included in
Criminology Commons , Psychology Commons
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Online Theses and Dissertations Student Scholarship January 2019 Serial killers in popular media: A content analysis of sensationalism and support for capital punishment April Nicole Pace Eastern Kentucky University Follow this and additional works at: https://encompass.eku.edu/etd Part of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons
This dichotomy was therefore tested by the multidimensional scaling of the co-occurrence of 39 aspects of serial killings derived 100 murders committed by 100 U.S. serial killers.
Serial killing is a phenomenon that both fascinates and scares people. The United States has experienced several notorious serial killers that remain well-known, even years after their crimes. Serial killers are known for having many similar, but also many different traits. Ted Bundy, Dennis Rader, and Aileen Wuornos are some of America's deadliest serial killers, but each has backgrounds and ...