Serial Killers always have a choice.

Christion Abrams

Recently several reports about serial killers and there mental illnesses have been released. These
reports in turn have lead people to believe that Serial Killers never had a chance to not be serial
killers. It is becoming a theme that due to most if not all serial killers having severe mental
illnesses like Schizophrenia, or having a lack of empathy for others or how they feel also known
as Sociopath or Psychopath that these people had no real chance in life to be normal or even said
by some they were born to be killers. This is simply not true, Firstly when it comes to mental
illnesses other diseases like OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) are also linked to many
serial killers however most people with OCD do not turn out to be serial killers the same thing is
very much possible with people that have Schizophrenia and Psychopath and Sociopathic
tendencies. Only 4-5% of people in the world are truly considered psychopaths and of that small
percentage it is even rarer for those psychopaths to grow and become serial killers.

One of Americas favorite and beloved presidents, Theodore Roosevelt

did in fact have several psychopathic tendencies however he like most people with psychopathic

tendencies or characteristics was able to live a normal live and have a successful career. Now let
me be clear it is not easy for a person with Schizophrenia or with Sociopathic and Psychopathic
tendencies however with medical treatment all of the listed mental illnesses harmful and
potential murderous tendencies can all be corralled according to schizophrenia.com 97% of
violent cases of people that suffer from schizophrenia is a result of the non-proper taking of
medication which leads to violent acts from assault to murder and can even result in self-harm.

Unfourtantely for some out there many Serial Killers have had horrific childhoods which
is another way many serial killers are molded which also people may use as a way to say certain
serial killers had no chance nor did they have a choice. However according to Serial Killer
psychologist Tom Erickson only 44% of all those documented with what is considered a
troublesome childhood have been locked up for any crime whether it be a misdemeanor or
serious felony the number shrinks when referring to felonies down to 17% violent crimes 8% and
actual murder down to 3.2%. So what is it that may push a person over the edge the FBI and
other mental research units call them triggers these are things that may remind them of their
past which can kind of set off a person also not receiving enough help to help cope with their
past. At the end of the day yes several serial killers are put in horrid conditions from birth but its
what they do and the actions they chose to take in the future that shape who they become. Also
mental illnesses unfortunately make live extremely difficult for people but with the surmounts of
help medications that are available it is no excuse to do something as heinous as murder so even
though some may try to say this there is no such thing as a person who is Born a Killer

References
Burke, Allie. "Don't Kill My Vibe: The Schizophrenia Edition." Psychology Today. N.p., 01 Apr.
2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
Ewug, Greg. "Which US President Was The Biggest Psychopath? - PsyBlog." PsyBlog RSS.
N.p., 03 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.