Why Joel became a Serial Killer
Joel Rifkin became a serial killer after experiencing mistreatment and isolation that wore him down to his own disturbed world thus making him experience dreams about stabbing and raping women. The inspiration to act on his thoughts came from Alfred Hitchcock movie Frenzy . In addition, easy availability of women drug addicts and prostitutes made it easy for Joel to carry out the murders.
Theories that support explanation
The theory selected to be evaluated in the context of this defendant is the one advanced by Fox and Levin (2004). The theory states that serial killers begin having fantasies that lead to murder. The authors published their theory in 2004 while the two were working at College of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University, Boston. It was tested and proved to be true. The genesis of the theory explicates that when fantasies are harbored by a serial killer for a long time, they no longer experience satisfaction, thus are prompted by emotions to go out and search of satisfaction and thrill by carrying out actual murders. Its major assumption is that the serial killer searches for a larger dose by carrying out murders repeatedly to feel the excitement repeatedly. Strengths of the theory and a number of statistics prove it. However, it is considered weak in the sense that it fails to explain the transition from fantasizing to acting.
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Smith and Zahn (1999) in their publication Studying and Preventing Homicide advanced the theory that people who commit serial killing suffer from a profound sense of powerlessness. The two authors are scholars in the field of criminology and sociology. Controlled studies by other researchers indicate that the theory might be true. The genesis is that majority of serial killers experience significant psychological and physical trauma, public humiliation and torment and rejection while young or during their teens. The main assumption outlines that serial killers compensate for their former state of powerlessness by tormenting and exercising control as well as killing their victims. The strength of the theory lies in the fact that about 50% of male serial killers experienced physical and psychological abuse when young. In the contrary, some authors argue that the theory is weak since it fails to define what powerlessness is or is not.
Factors in Rifkin’s Life that Support the Theories
Joel started experiencing fantasies of stabbing and raping women for a prolonged period of time before committing his first crime. He went on to massacre 17 more women to re-experience the excitement. Joel exhibited a profound state of powerlessness during his teen years where he was excessively bullied, tormented, and publicly humiliated by his peers.
References
Smith, M. D., & Zahn, M. A. (1999). Studying and preventing homicide . Sage.
Fox, J.A., & Levin, J. (2004). Extreme killing, understanding serial and mass murder. London: Sage publications.
