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Serial killer: nature vs nurture 1

Serial killer: nature vs nurture

A serial killer is characterized as someone who kills many people in different incidents over an extended period of time with a cooling-off period in between each murder. Research show that more often than not the victims of serial killers are strangers to their killer. The mystery that has been boggling the minds of psychologists is to put a reason to why a person would be driven by the instinct and desire of violence and to kill others.

Nurture refers to a person's upbringing, whereas nature refers to the inherited traits that affect a person's personality. The question that has constantly been raised in the debates is whether it is one’s genetic composition or the environment of bringing up that leads one to becoming a serial killer?

Some people think it's because of nature, while others think it's because of nurture. To put these two schools of thought into perspective one need to consider a serial killer. Is it that a serial killer kills because it is in his or her genetic composition? that whatever one’s upbringing is they would still turn out to be serial killers. On the other hand, is the surrounding that a serial killer grows up in what makes him a serial killer? that the parents' neglect caused the violet conduct, or that they were physically molested when they were younger?

Although there are numerous possibilities, no one can pinpoint the exact cause of one becoming a serial killer. Some serial killers had loving homes where there was no history of abuse or neglect, while others had violent backgrounds where there was a history of abuse. Additionally, some serial killers are predisposed to violence or mental illnesses genetically. In the circumstance, perhaps it is safe to say that a person's intellect is shaped by both nature and nurture. One aspect of intelligence cannot be compared to another since it is multifaceted and multidimensional.