Chapter 8 - The Making of a Sexual Serial Killer

Summary

Bowlby proposed that the child forms a working model of the relationship between his/herself and caregivers. Where there is abuse, the working model represents this. In response, the child can learn to perform aggressive behaviour. A common feature of serial lust killers is that they experienced humiliation in their early lives. Early sources of abuse include physical, psychological and sexual. Later sources of trauma include taunting over sexual orientation and failure to find a girlfriend. Somewhat similar to the notion of ‘working model’ is that of a ‘love map’. The love map can be corrupted so that violence becomes encoded. The process of sensory preconditioning is under the control of dopamine and is responsible for forming links between an aversive emotion and sexual desire. In some cases, a traumatic memory can be revised to take on positive qualities and underlie lust killing. The Old Brain matures faster than the New Brain.