SERIAL KILLERS

Violence Cycle
Theorists indicate the following phases of the serial killers violence cycle. “First one is a fantasy phase, the second one is compulsion phase, the third is planning phase: then goes the prowling phase (organized killer investigates his potential crime site). Later killer experience the victim luring/capture phase; killing phase and finally cooling-off phase which indicates the end of one violence cycle and also the beginning of another.” (Vorpagel, Harrington, 163)
Media issues

The role of media in the whole process of catching killers may be substantial. It may feature the police and media cooperation on profiling results announcement, and also it may be a source of information for a killer himself.

How can we resolve the issues we have with serial killers? Serial murders prevention and investigation methods.
The common method of serial murders’ prevention is a constant communication process of the police forces and the local communities. The most serial killers types are known and may be classified.

Among the means that can help authorities to detain the killer, if the crime has been committed, the following should be named:
Ӣ Innovative investigative techniques;
Ӣ Effective coordination of various authorities levels (federal, state and local law agencies);

Ӣ Killer profiling;
Ӣ Victim profiling.
Investigative techniques can help officials capture suspects. The newest and the most usuful method is DNA profiling.
It’s a genetic profiling that matches the DNA that was found on the victim and the potential killer’s blood sample. These test result supply an investigation with a reliable identification.
Coordination ensures that potentially linked, unsolved violent crimes are under close eye of all the authority levels such as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. It’s crucially important to share investigative information, because it may help to strengthen the investigative process and to identify the suspect.
Another important thing is victim profiling. According to Keppel and Birnes, victim profiling allows police investigators to anticipate the recreational killer’s next move, warn potential victims and seek their cooperation. (22)

There is one aspect of serial murders investigation that needs to be emphasized. “Serial murders should be easier to solve than one-time homicides. Multiple crimes yield multiple crime scenes with more evidence, more information on motives, and a greater chance of detection by witnesses. Thus, apart from the need for routinely thorough initial investigations likely to detect serial killers before they repeat, law enforcement must consider new investigative emphases when faced with an apparent serial crime.” (Egger, Doney, and others, 114)

Conclusion
In my opinion, the issue of serial killers can’t be resolved completely, and but as I’ve stated in the introduction, in the recent decades the number of serial killers increases. This tendency is caused by mostly negative media influence (Bryant, 27), but there are many other factors from upbringing to social and economic conditions that a certain person experience.
But by using the various modern methods of investigation and prevention the number of these crimes may be decreased.

Among the methods of prevention such crimes the most effective will be a cooperation of the community and a police. People should be aware of their environment, know their neighbors and should call to police when someone’s strange behavior attracts their attention. Besides it, police profilers should share their profiling skills and methods with local police departments. “Criminal profiling is not an exact science; one cannot precisely predict human behavior. However, past behavior is a strong indicator of future behavior; violent criminals are creatures of habit and ritualistic behaviors.” (Vorpagel, Harrington, 34)

Works cited
Baker T. Hunting Serial Killers, Law & Order, Vol. 49, May, 2001
Bryant J. Television and the American Family Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001, Print
Egger S., Doney R., Ford D. Serial Murder: An Elusive Phenomenon, Praeger.Westport, CT, 1990, Print
Giannangelo S. The Psychopathology of Serial Murder: A Theory of Violence, Praeger, 1996, Print
Keppel R., Birnes W. The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations: The Grisly Business Unit Academic Press, 2003, Print
Petherick W.Serial Crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues in Behavioral Profiling, Academic Press.Burlington, MA, 2005, Print
Sohail K. The Myth of the Chosen One: The Story behind the Story of the Man Who Allegedly Abused and Murdered One Hundred Children White Knight Publications, 2002. Print
Vorpagel R., Harrington J. Profiles in Murder: An FBI Legend Dissects Killers and Their Crimes, Perseus Publishing, 1998, Print
Wilson D. So What Makes a SERIAL KILLER? The Mirror, London, England, April 17, 2010, Print