Aileen Wuornos became a serial killer due to psychological and social factors that affected her as a child and became deeply entrenched within her, leading to her hatred for men, temper bursts, and disconnection with herself and others. The theories I selected to evaluate, in the context of this defender, are the social process theory and choice theory. The social process theory states that people have the potential of becoming criminals if they continue having destructive social relationships as they interact with people, organizations, and institutions which do not support their wholesome development. Social process theory was developed by Edwin Sutherland in 1947 while studying criminal tendencies and their relations to social elements of interactions and communication (Huck and Morris, 2013). Choice theory, on the other hand, states that the choices people make are driven by the instincts of survival, love, belonging, freedom, power, fun, and freedom, and these choices tailor people’s behavior, defining their personality and existence (Adorno et al. 2000). The theory was developed by Glasser from her studies in psychology and nursing and was first published in 1996 in his book titled Glasser’s Choice theory. Sutherland’s social process theory was tested in his research studies relating to criminology and has been instrumental in understanding how social development affects behavior in general, and how it related to crime (Huck and Morris, 2013). The strengths of this theory are that it acknowledges social influence and ties environmental factors and sociological factors in their contribution to human development. Its shortcomings are that it is widely untested, but built on a theoretical perspective. Furthermore, the theory does not succinctly explain how delinquency is socially transmitted. Glasser’s choice theory, on the other hand, was developed and tested from Glasser’s decades of practice as a psychologist. The strengths of the choice theory are that it helps to understand an individual’s autonomy and relate choices to personality behaviors (Adorno et al. 2000). It thus provides alternatives for improving human relations through decision making. Its limitations are that it does not account for biological and chemical factors inherent in human beings that may have psychological effects. Furthermore, its effectiveness is unmeasured, and its weakly acts as a supplement to pharmacological treatments. The factors that support my decision for social process theory, in the context of Aileen’s case, are based on her childhood and upbringing. According to Human (2003), Aileen had an antisocial personality disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder. These psychological anomalies developed due to Aileen’s inability to form or maintain stable relationships and weak emotional attachments to others. Her violent childhood greatly contributed to her development as a serial killer (Adorno et al. 2000). For instance, she was abandoned by her mother when she was four and was raised by an alcoholic and abusive grandfather who also molested her. At fourteen, she was detached from her newborn, who was given up for adoption. The factor that supported the choice for choice theory, on the other hand, is based on Aileen’s decisions. Aileen’s choices were mostly prejudiced. She spent her childhood hitchhiking and prostituting for survival, and when she decided to be a lesbian, her hatred for men started to manifest (Human, 2003). Due to her psychological disorder and her antisocial tenders that were made worse by her temper tantrums, Aileen gravitated towards murder and developed to a serial killer. Male and female serial killers are different. Whereas male serial killers kill strangers, are more likely to torture them, a nd sexually abuse them before killing them, female serial killers often kill those with whom they are properly acquittanced (Vronsky, 2014). Aileen’s case was different as she killed strangers, but there was no evidence of sexual molestation or torture. She shot all her male victims, inspired by subtle hatred and the need for resources for survival.
References
Adorno, T., Gödde, C., & Jephcott, E. (2000). Introduction to sociology . Stanford University Press.
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Huck, J., & Morris, C. (2013). Social Process Theories. The Encyclopedia Of Criminology And Criminal Justice , 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118517383.wbeccj479
Human, J (Producer) & Broomfield, N. (Director). (2003). Aileen - Life and Death of a Serial Killer (Documentary). United States: Lafayette Films.
Vronsky, P. (2014). Female Serial Killers: How and Why Women Become Monsters . Berkley Books.
