Serial murder : psychological themes

Abstract

The goal of this research is to abstract psychological themes from interviews which were held with people who have committed serial murder. This research thus contributes to a better understanding of the phenomenon of serial murder, which occurs from time to time in communities. Serial murder is operationally defined as three or more seemingly unmotivated murders. Four people who met the operational definition and criteria of serial murder were identified to participate in this research. The research is based on the principles of Grounded Theory and the themes are presented in a descriptive manner. Different theoretical perspectives, which serve as explanation for serial murder, are presented as a point of departure. These explanations are eventually tentatively integrated with the results. Some of the most important themes that have emerged are: these persons display a dependent personality structure with underlying anxiety; these person come across as reasonably normal without indications of severe pathology; these persons have an incapacity to form meaningful relationships; and there is a possibility that these persons grew up in a psychologically deprived environment. Simultaneously, despite the fact that these findings may lead to generalization, the unique composition of each individual who has committed serial murder is advocated and categorization is avoided. AFRIKAANS : Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om sielkundige temas uit onderhoude, met persone wat reeksmoord gepleeg het, te abstraheer. Die navorsing kan sodoende hydra tot 'n beter begrip van die fenomeen reeksmoord, wat van tyd tot tyd in gemeenskappe voorkom. Vier persone, wat aan die navorsing se operasionele definisie en kriteria vir reeksmoord voldoen, is geïdentifiseer en het aan die navorsingsprojek deelgeneem. Die navorsing geskied volgens die beginsels van Grounded Theory en die temas word beskrywend aangebied. As vertrekpunt word verskeie teoretiese perspektiewe as verklarings rakende reeksmoord aangebied. Hierdie verklarings word uiteindelik op 'n tentatiewe wyse met die bevindinge geïntegreer. Van die belangrikste temas wat na vore gekom het is dat die persone 'n afhanklike persoonlikheidstruktuur openbaar met onderliggende angs, dat die persone redelik normaal voorkom sander aanduidings van ernstige patologie, dat die persone 'n onvermoe het om betekenisvolle verhoudinge te kweek, en 'n moontlikheid dat die persone in 'n arm sielkundige omgewing groot geword het. Ten spyte van die feit dat sekere van die bevindinge tot veralgemening mag lei, word die unieke samestelling van elke individu wat reeksmoord gepleeg het bepleit en word kategorisering vermy.