The Fascination with True Crime Podcasts
When I know I have a long car ride ahead, instead of music, I choose podcasts. Not just any podcasts—true crime podcasts, specifically the ones about murders. My favorite podcast is My Favorite Murder, where they discuss two cases of murderers, and sometimes, those happen to be serial killers.
What Do Serial Killers Have in Common?
Serial killers are often categorized as sadistic and psychopathic. This sparked a question in my mind: What do all serial killers have in common? There are so many of them, and yet, they seem to share similar traits. It appears that most of them have a traumatic childhood, a sense of grandeur, and a complete lack of empathy.
The Role of Childhood Trauma
According to Heather Mitchell and Michael G. Aamodt, researchers who studied serial killers, the majority of them experienced some form of abuse in their childhood. Out of 100% of the individuals studied, 32% had suffered from physical abuse, and a staggering 68% experienced some form of abuse—be it sexual, verbal, psychological, or emotional.
Early personality traits, influenced by these traumatic childhood experiences, leave lasting imprints on their brain. These traumas later manifest in psychopathic and disturbing behaviors as adults. Child abuse is more prevalent in serial killers than in the general population, and those who are not treated for antisocial behaviors as children are more likely to become serial killers later in life.
Grandiose Delusions: A Common Trait
Most serial killers suffer from antisocial personality disorder. One of the key traits of this disorder is grandiose delusions—a belief that they are superior, invincible, or even god-like. According to Becky Robbins, serial killers with grandiose delusions are fully aware of right and wrong, yet they continue with their crimes. They know what they are doing is wrong, which is why they often hide their actions. But due to their inflated sense of self, they believe they can get away with anything.
Serial killers often mock law enforcement and those trying to catch them, believing they are smarter than everyone else and can avoid consequences indefinitely.
Lack of Empathy: A Defining Feature
Another common trait among serial killers is a complete lack of empathy. To do what they do, serial killers must be able to detach from their victims and feel no remorse. A key early sign of this lack of empathy is animal abuse, which is common in the childhood of many serial killers. For someone to harm an innocent animal, they must lack any form of compassion or empathy.
This absence of empathy extends into their adult lives. Serial killers are unable to understand or care about the feelings of their victims. Even when they appear to show emotions, such as comforting the family or friends of a victim, it’s often a facade. They are highly skilled at mimicking emotions but are incapable of truly feeling them.
Read more: How did modern media praise serial killers
Why Do We Continue to Study Serial Killers?
Serial killers provide a fascinating study for psychologists and criminologists. Their behavior is often so far removed from societal norms that it piques curiosity. While serial killers share many traits—such as childhood trauma, grandiosity, and a lack of empathy—the reasons behind their behavior remain a mystery. We continue to study them not just for curiosity’s sake, but to better understand how and why they commit such heinous acts.
