THE ROLE OF HUMILIATION AND EMBARRASSMENT IN SERIAL MURDER

This work focuses on intrinsic motives of the serial murderer by adopt ing a social-psychological approach toward explaining this type of vio lent crime. By examining case histories and accounts provided by seria l killers it is shown that serial murder is often a crime of passion i nvolving the release of repressed emotions. In the mind of the serial killer the victim serves to bring back memories of someone who embarra ssed the killer earlier in life. The killer transfers feelings of humi liation into rage and onto the victim in an attempt to remove the memo ry of the humiliation. However, since the killer is not removing the a ctual target there is no release from the memory. Thus, the killings m ust continue.