Aileen Wuornos as a Serial Killer



Aileen Wuornos as a Serial Killer

Aileen Wuornos as a Serial Killer

Serial killing is a horrific act. It requires a certain type of person to be capable of performing such an act, as it is not simply one murder being committed, but multiple ones. Due to this fact, there are no excuses such as self-defense or provocation to explain why the murder was committed, as in many cases. Serial killers commit these horrendous acts on several occasions, and thus in order to determine how they are capable of doing such a thing, it becomes necessary to explore how they came to be the people they are as well as looking at their personalities in fine detail.

Upon tracing the steps of an individual's childhood, many discoveries can be made, which lead to explanations behind such callous acts as murder. Socialization, and the family in particular, are major influences. Socialisation is 'the process by which children acquire the beliefs, values, and behaviours considered desirable or appropriate by the society to which they belong'(Shaffer, 2002:537). When developmentalists began studies on socialization in the 1940's and 1950's, their main focus was on mother-child relationships, and findings were generally that mothers were the ultimate molding agents when it came to conduct and character. (Ambert, 1992) Modern researchers have rejected this simplistic model however, and favoured more of a 'systems' approach. This approach basically recognizes that parents influence their children's behaviour. (Shaffer, 2002:537)

As well as schizophrenia, personality disorders seem common in nearly all serial killers. Aillen Wuornos was believed to suffer from borderline personality disorder. This is marked by 'extremely unstable interpersonal relationships, dramatic mood swings, an unstable sense of identity, manipulativeness and impulsive behaviour' (Westen, 2002:551), which sounds like the exact sort of behaviour demonstrated by many murderers. However, the most common personality disorder suffered by serial killers, and perhaps the best explanation behind their actions, is that of an anti-social personality disorder. This is marked by 'irresponsible and socially disruptive behaviour in a variety of areas', and sufferers experience a sheer lack of empathy or remorse. (Westen, 2002:552) Although not all murderers are diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder, the sheer ability to be capable of multiple murders, suggests signs of the disorder.

Tracing back one more step, and discovering what causes these personality disorders can lead to further explanations for such behaviour as serial killing. Several studies implicate sexual abuse ...