Crime has always been a negative side of society. Taking the life of another human being is one of the hardest crimes, which dates to the biblical times of the first murderer Cain, who killed his brother Abel. As humanity progressed, the ways of killing people emerged as well as the reasons, that got more and more complex and sophisticated. As a result, the second part of the twentieth century has seen the so-called Golden Age of serial killers. This tendency ended in the twenty-first century with more developed criminology to counter-react to homicide and criminal behavior. This annotated bibliography provides insight into how different authors explain the phenomenon of the rise and decline of serial killings.
Yaksic, Enzo, et al. “Detecting a Decline in Serial Homicide: Have we Banished the Devil from the Details?” Cogent Social Sciences, vol. 5, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-23.
The article provides an insight into the argument between people who disagree with an evidential decline in serial killings with factual evidence. It is believed that the 21st century has been associated with a worldwide decline in serial homicide cases. However, the opponents argue that the missing people and unresolved cases may be attributed to the serial killers of the present day. The past decade contained almost half the cases (13%) that existed at the 1980s peak of serial homicide (27%) (Yaksic et al. 12). However, experts argue that unresolved cases cannot contribute to the numbers of the 20th century. Only 282 (1.3%) strangled females made up the 22,444 unresolved homicides reviewed (Yaksic et al. 12). In addition, not all modern serial killers are able to reach their full potential, as did the criminals in the twentieth century. Therefore, the article shows that the statement about the decline of serial killers in the present day can be argued. This resource can be used to critically examine the problem and prove the existence of various influencing factors.
Marono, Abbie Jean, et al. “A Behaviour Sequence Analysis of Serial Killers’ Lives: From Childhood Abuse to Methods of Murder.” Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, vol. 27 no. 1, 2020, pp. 126-137.
One of the most effective practices of identifying and capturing serial killers during the 80s and to the present day has been psychological profiling. The article reviews the psychological aspects that are common for serial killers of the twentieth century (Marono et al. 126). Creating a psychological map and tracking behavioral patterns in early childhood is essential for the prevention of the occurrence of new serial killers in the future. This article shows how modern crime investigation strategies affect the criminal situation. It can be used to consider various factors for decreasing or increasing the number of crime cases. At the same time, the resource within the framework of this study has a limitation in the form of a narrow focus. The authors consider profiling exclusively, and also do not take into account the influence of other factors, which can also largely shape criminal behavior.
Vronsky, Peter. Sons of Cain: A History of Serial Killers from the Stone Age to the Present. Penguin, 2018.
The book is written by the historian that specializes in serial killers, Peter Vronsky. Here, the author notes the nature of the crime and the evolution of the idea of killing another person, and the reasons behind it. Vronsky notes that although serial killers have been present throughout history, the term “serial killer” is relatively new as it first appeared only in 1981 (Vronsky 34). Regarding the golden age of serial killers, Vronsky points out some of the reasons for the disturbing tendency. One of the main factors that contributed to that was World War II, which exposed people to the horrors of war. Children of veterans lived in families where their fathers that had this traumatic experience learned from their behavior. The book shows that modern society is also vulnerable to potential spikes in serial homicide due to exposure to violence. This source can be used for a deeper look at the causes of serial killing. One of the limitations of the book can be called an insufficiently versatile analysis of the current situation, which does not allow the author to make unambiguous predictions.
“Where Did All The Serial Killers Go?” YouTube, uploaded by Human Interests, 2019, Web.
This is a video from a Human Interests YouTube channel, which provides an overview of the topic of the serial killings decline. Authors attribute this to the development of crime prevention and provide examples and advanced methods of identifying and capturing homicide criminals. For example, the use of DNA to create a genealogical tree, which helped to capture the Golden State Killer, who remained free for nearly forty years. The video provides statistical sources, which point that since 1987, the number of serial killers has decreased by 85% (“Where Did All The Serial Killers Go?”). The video concludes that if killers like Ted Bundy were alive today, they would not be able to kill as many victims as they did. This article shows that modern crime investigation strategies have a significant impact on reducing the number of crimes. It can be used to examine the role of modern criminological tools within a topic.
“Why This Generation Will Have More Serial Killers Than Ever.” YouTube, uploaded by The Infographics Show, 2018, Web.
The video provides an opinion that the present generation of children has a higher potential of growing into serial killers compared to previous generations. Authors refer to the exposure of violence in the media and advertisement, which is unprecedented. Moreover, the role of the media in the occurrence of serial killing during the twentieth century is elaborated. The source shows that due to the romanticization of violence, people may see it as more attractive and develop an unhealthy fantasy about it, which can lead to actions. This is why overexposure to violence in media is seen as a threat to future generations. The source can also be used to consider the factors that influence the decrease or increase in the number of crimes. However, the video does not consider the interaction of various causes but rather focuses on one of them, which is a limitation.