Violence and Aggression
Ted Bundy, a psychopathic serial killer whose twisted mind and odd charm helped him get what he achieved – fear. True crime writer Ann Rule, who knew Bundy personally, states that it was around 1969, shortly following a traumatic breakup with his college girlfriend that Bundy started killing, an argument for nurture it seems – or is it? Studies of Bundy’s and like psychopath’s brains have been identified to work differently from the average person.
The psychopath is defined by a psychological gratification in criminal, sexual, or aggressive impulses and the inability to learn from past mistakes. Individuals with this disorder gain satisfaction through their antisocial behavior as well as lacking a conscience (morals and remorse). While Bundy grew up, he was always violent; speculators agree this was a consequence of his psychopathic nature, not the way he grew up.
It is common to stress that not all psychopaths in childhood grow up to be psychopaths, this can be compared to Asperger’s Syndrome, or some cases of full blown autism in which through development of the brain, the insufficiency is further developed, to result in a quote unquote “normal” individual.
1- Are Ted Bundy’s crimes because of his psychopathic nature, or were his life experiences the ‘triggered’ for the crimes?
2- Just because some people are able to work through psychopathy and other disorders of the brain, does this mean that psychopathy is NOT an illness that is a result of nature?
3- In your opinion, can a psychopath be ‘bred’?
Used references from wikipage as follows :
• Unknown Author (2008) Ted Bundy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_bundy
• Kendall, Elizabeth. The Phantom Prince: My Life With Ted Bundy. Madrona Pub; 1st edition September 1981; Hardcover, 183 pages; ISBN 0914842706
• Keppel, Robert. The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer. Pocket Books, 2005, paperback, 597 pages, ISBN 0743463951. Updated after the arrest and confession of the Green River killer, Gary Ridgway.
• Larsen, Richard W. Bundy: The Deliberate Stranger. 1980, hardcover, ISBN 0-13-089185-1.
• Michaud, Stephen, and Hugh Aynesworth. The Only Living Witness. Authorlink 1999, paperback. ISBN 1-928704-11-5.
• Michaud, Stephen, and Hugh Aynesworth. Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer. Transcripts of the authors' 1980 Death Row interviews with Bundy. Authorlink, 2000. ISBN 1-928704-17-4.
• Nelson, Polly. Defending the Devil: My Story as Ted Bundy's Last Lawyer. William Morrow, 1994, 329 pages. ISBN 0-688-10823-7.
• Rule, Ann. The Stranger Beside Me. Signet, 2000, paperback. 548 pages. ISBN 0-451-20326-7. Updated 20th anniversary edition.
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9 comments:
Just because the psychopathic mind works differently from the non-psychopathic mind does not mean that the traumatic breakup with his girlfriend was not at least partly a trigger. I find it too coincidental that his psychopathic urges were only actualised immediately after a breakup (especially one which is described as traumatic).
Secondly: While many people are born as sociopaths or psychopaths, in some demographic areas as many as 1 in 10, with proper upbringing these psychopathic urges will not materialise further - a sure argument for nurture, although I will admit that nature is at least partly to blame for the mind to have those socio/psychopathic urges in the first place.
The DNA of a psychopath is only 1% different to that of someone without psychopathy, showing that there is at least a large degree of nature behind it (ugh, what's with all these nature cases lately? I feel all dirty). It also means that, since psychopathy is genetic and appears in our DNA, it is possible to increase the chances using selective breeding of giving birth to a psychopath (though why you would want to is beyond me).
Cameron
10H
good blog duncan [shudder]
in response to the questions at the end:
I believe that in the case of psychopaths that this is a case where nature influences nurture. Ted Bundy had a psychopathic predisposition, which was triggred in his life, perhaps his killings were triggered my his traumatic breakup.
I think that psychopaths are a cause of nature, that their brains are 'wired differently' and this behaviour is triggered by events in their lives
Elisheba R. 10E
I'm unsure about whether his crimes are because of his psychopathic nature or whether it was his life experiences that truggered the crimes. It seems to me that his life experiences triggered his psychopathic nature. and then this psychopathic nature lead to the crimes.
even if psychopathy can be worked through, it can still be an illness that is a result of nature. I believe that aspects of nature can still disapear through out our lives. Many other genetic illnesses can be worked through.
I don't think that psychopathy can be bred by nature, instead by nurture of the child in his/her early years of life.
heidi 10f
In my oppinion it is quite possible that Ted’s crimes were triggered by the breaking up with his girlfriend. I think as he was always aggressive as a child this breakup was just a trigger. I do think that pychopathy is an illness caused by nature. This can be shown in the fact that the brain works differently, they could have been born like that. I think that people may get past it like any other illness.
Elspeth
i beleve there was a mix with nature and nurture. for question number one i beleive he definately there was something wrong with him, however they did not metion his upbringing, only that he was violent. i think the break up definately had something to do with it. this might have triggered something in his brain which set of something. this could be just like the aspergis syndrom
for question number two, i beleive nurture has something definately an influence. in an area that is insercure, this could have some major influence into his behaviou versus a sercure environment.
for question number 3, i am not sure. i dont think so because i would lean towards a gene mutation and not one that can be passed down through genes.
Anthony
I agree with Cameron, the break up with his girlfriend was probably what triggered the beginning of his crimes.
However, it could also be possible that both nature and nurture played a role in the "breeding" of a psychopath. His DNA allows for him to become a psychopath, but it needed traumatic experiences to trigger what he is capable of.
Beth
10L
Individuals can be genetically predetermined to be violent or this can be influenced by the nurture, as to whther the violent tendencies are cultivated or whther they are surpressed. again this is an example of nurture affecting nature. Ted Bundy had psycopathic tendencies surpressed although the environment(the girlfirend incident) uncovered these feelings and caused him to maximise them.
Psycopathy is an illness due to nature and the serotonin levels affected. Although it is upt to nurture as to whether those psycopathic tendencies are surfaced.
In my opinion a psycopath can be bred due to both the nature characteristics (i.e. serotonin levels, violence) and whther the natural characteristics are cultivated by nurture (ie. not stopping the violent tendencies a child is born with and maybe rewarding them for this behaviour).
Just a thought: i was wondering maybe psycopathy can be surpressed or stopped using classical conditionining (via association) therapies such as aversion therapy, i.e. shocking a person when they produce violent tendencies.(Ethical issues involved). Or systematic desensitization-replacing the satisfying emotion with maybe moral concerns and a conscience.
Alka 10J
A clarification I would like to make is that yes, Ted Bundy did have psychopathic tendencies before the break up, he was documented to injure animals as the stereotype of serial killers suggests. In my opinion, he is a predisposed killer, with no remorse for his crimes, had he not have broken up in such a way perhaps things wouldnt be as bad and he may have not gone so far in his crimes. I beleive ted bundy was born a killer, a psychopath with a different brainworking, the only thing the break up served to do was channel his aggresion at women.
-Duncan 10k
to heidi's comment "I don't think that psychopathy can be bred by nature, instead by nurture of the child in his/her early years of life." I would disagree, as psychopaths are tested to think differently and lack remorse.
to anthony, interesting point, but it has been found that he had a normal life, though not a very rich lifestyle, he was in a normal family that did nto abuse him (foster families usuallly are always checked so that it doesnt happen).
to beth, "His DNA allows for him to become a psychopath, but it needed traumatic experiences to trigger what he is capable of. " I would partially agree with you, but i don't say his dna allows him to BECOME a psychopath, he is born a psychopath, but the traumatic experience would cause a trigger, though the disposition is still there
Sorry for the double post
-Duncan 10K
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