Youth Serial Killers: Psychological and Criminological Profiles

Abstract

Serial murder is a specific type of violent crime that falls into the crime category of multicide. According to the nomenclature of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crime Classification Manual and Academic Researchers for the Classification of Violent Crimes, most serial killers are adults. However, serial murder is also committed by young people, although to a lesser extent. Young serial killers are a topic of relevance in areas such as psychology, criminology, and the justice system. Given that the study of the variables that could be the basis of such multicide criminality is not conclusive, the need for further research is evident. The homicides perpetrated by children and young people point to a social panorama that is alarming due to their young age. This issue is prevalent enough to conduct a review. The performed review concludes the importance of psychosocial factors to better understand the process by which children and young people commit crimes as serious as serial murders. The scope of the problem of serial murders perpetrated by minors is controversial because it often depends on how the number of real cases is counted. Although official statistics indicate the low prevalence of juvenile serial killers, childhood is a period in which antisocial behaviour can have its beginning. Some authors consider that it is not uncommon for the first murder of this type to occur in adolescence. It is important to consider psychopathy as an influential factor in the various forms of serial criminal conduct committed by children and young people. The research works consulted provide evidence of the special relevance of psychopathy in the generation of serious juvenile delinquency.

The Antecedents of Criminal Behavior: An Exploratory Reflection

“…Criminal psychology, as its name suggests, is the study of the mind of criminals, so what is the practical significance of studying this discipline? The general task is to analyze the behavior of the offender towards the victim, the marks left at the scene of the crime, and other information to infer who the offender is and what kind of experience casts a shadow on the offender [3]. This is an important clue for the police to find the criminal.…”

“…Anyway, I am curious about these questions, so in order to get the answers to these questions, we looked up a lot of information on Google and other sites after writing this article. After reviewing a large amount of data, we have divided the causes into the following categories: family environment, genetic defects, personal personality, and given the possible consequences and ways to identify and prevent them [1][2][3]. We do this by researching, collecting examples, and analyzing them.…”

Serial sexual murder by juveniles and the role of sexual sadism: An international study

“…As an example, in a case author Myers consulted on, an ostensibly nonviolent inmate convicted of a sexual murder and serving a life sentence sexually attacked a female nurse during a routine clinic visit, but prison officers arrived before serious harm occurred; several years later, this same inmate sexually assaulted and killed his male cellmate. Finally, the premise has been posited that there may be a low incidence of JSSH because these youth are generally caught and imprisoned after they commit their first sexual murder (García‐Baamonde et al., 2022; Hickey, 2013; Yaksic et al., 2019). Or, might JSSH offenders be different from youth who commit just one sexual murder and actually represent an “early onset” variation of serial murder?…”

“…While the mean age of JSHO victims is about 31 years, there is no victim age category that has been spared from their predation, and victim ages have ranged from infants to the very elderly (Beauregard et al., 2009; Safarik et al., 2002). Likewise, their victim relationship can range from strangers to acquaintances to friends to family members, even parents (Chan & Heide, 2008; Chan & Heide, 2016; García‐Baamonde et al., 2022; McCuish et al., 2014; Myers, 2002; Myers & Blashfield, 1997; Myers et al., 1998; Myers et al., 2010; Safarik et al., 2002).…”

“…In addition to this case series, there are a handful of case studies on the topic that are mostly contained in true crime books focusing on a single offender (e.g., Berg, 1954; Freeman, 1955; Schechter, 2000; Smith, 1995). A recent overview of serial murder by youth (García‐Baamonde et al., 2022) concluded that important influential factors may be psychopathy, psychosocial factors, and preexisting serious criminal behavior. In sum, the current state of juvenile serial sexual homicide (JSSH) research has yet to achieve the status of a maturing field of scientific inquiry, that is, an expanding literature, a shift toward quantitative studies, and research that tests theory‐generated hypotheses.…”