What Makes a Woman Become a Serial Killer

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dc.contributor.author Cassady, Morgan S.
dc.date.accessioned 2017-05-11T19:17:35Z
dc.date.available 2017-05-11T19:17:35Z
dc.date.issued 2017-05
dc.identifier.citation Cassady, Morgan S. "What Makes a Woman Become a Serial Killer?" master's thesis. Valdosta State University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10
dc.identifier.other 4B35F5D4-E7CC-8FB4-42DD-928C7A0A277D UUID
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10428/2811
dc.description.abstract The offender profile information that surrounds the stereotypical serial killer is that the killer is mostly a Caucasian male suspect in his thirties. Males usually kill strangers, and almost all their victims are females killed by a sexual agenda. Female serial killers have much less information known about their motives and killer profiles. Women serial killers are often considered even more dangerous than male serial killers because they kill the unsuspecting and weak (Kelleher & Kelleher, 1998). A female serial killer almost always kills a close friend or family member, or someone in their own household (Vronsky, 2007). While most people consider the dangers of society to be outside the home, the female murderess is even more frightening because she hunts for victims within her own home. A group of 58 previously-researched female serial killers were examined following certain variables as discussed in the gender-responsive literature. The risk assessment of these women was examined to see if their actions did in fact follow the pathways of deviance outlined in the gender-responsive approach to deviance and recidivism. While there is not a specified sequence in which these events must occur, they all are a culmination of what shapes the woman’s probability to lead a life of criminality. The more variables experienced in a woman’s life, the greater her chances are of choosing criminal activity in her lifetime This study found that a woman who experiences a very tumultuous life with abuse, divorce, homelessness, and poverty will have an increased likelihood of inclusion in crime and deviance. en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents Chapter I: Introduction.1 | Defining A Serial Killer 1 | Summary.2 | Chapter Ii: Review Of Literature4 | Initiation5 | Preferred Methods.6 | Women Who Know Their Victims.6 | Women Who Kill Strangers8 | Detection And Evasion Of Capture.9 | Theoretical Background10 | Gender Differences.11 | The Pathways Perspective.12 | Relationships.13 | Abuse.15 | Mental Illness And Substance Abuse.17 | Poverty.17 | Chapter Iii: Methodology.19 | Overview .19 | Sample20 | Variables.20 | Data Analysis Plan.21 | Codebook Formulation.22 | Data Collection.23 | Chapter Iv: Results .25 | Childhood Demographics25 | Adult Factors.26 | The Crimes28 | Killer Demographics.30 | Discussion.32 | Methods Of Murder.32 | Career Length33 | Gender-responsive Variables.33 | Traumatic Events.34 | Abuse.34 | Relationships.35 | Poverty35 | Homelessness, Prostitution, And Drug Abuse.35 | Mental Illness36 | Interacting Factors.37 | Chapter V: Conclusion.39 | Study Limitations40 | Similar/different Findings41 | Policy Implications.43 | References46 | Appendix A: Codebook.50 | Appendix B: Females In Study, State, And Newspaper Publication 56 | Appendix C: Institutional Review Board Exemption Form59 | en_US
dc.language.iso en_US en_US
dc.subject Serial murderers en_US
dc.subject Serial murderers--Women en_US
dc.subject Murder en_US
dc.subject Gender en_US
dc.subject Gender identity in literature en_US
dc.title What Makes a Woman Become a Serial Killer en_US
dc.type Thesis en_US
dc.contributor.department The Department Of Sociology, Anthropology, And Criminal Justice of The College Of Arts And Sciences en_US
dc.description.advisor Ticknor, Bobbie
dc.description.committee Wilfred, Shani
dc.description.committee Huang, Wilson
dc.description.degree M.S. en_US
dc.description.major Criminal Justice en_US


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