32gc-2026-03-16_12_00_03-1887-4-psychology-of-serial-killers-reviewer.pdf
32gc-2026-03-16_12_00_03-1887-4-psychology-of-serial-killers-reviewer.pdf
SERIAL KILLERS are individuals who commit multiple killings over a period of time, with "cooling-off" periods in between each crime. They are NOT impulsive; instead, their actions are driven by psychological needs, compulsions, and fantasies.
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The term "serial killer" was coined by FBI agent Robert Ressler in the nineteen seventies. Its definition refers to multiple killings that show patterns and include cooling-off intervals.
• Gilles de Rais (fourteen oh four to fourteen forty) - a French nobleman who committed child murders. During his time, such acts were explained through heresy and demonology, rather than psychology.
• Jack the Ripper (eighteen eighty-eight) - infamous in London for the brutal murders of women, becoming one of history's most well-known unidentified killers.
The archetype of the modern serial killer revealed the limits of Victorian policing and later inspired criminal profiling. This period also marked the rise in documented cases and greater public awareness of serial crimes.