The Psychopathology of Serial Murder: A Theory of Violence

In this book, criminologist Stephen Giannangelo offers an original theory of the origins and development of the serial murderer. The author constructs a two-part model of the serial murderer’s development. The first part of the model outlines biological factors and concomitant psychological anomalies that can predispose individuals toward homicidal behaviour. Then, in developing the second part of his model, Giannangelo describes how a traumatic environmental stressor may trigger a cyclical pattern of violent behaviour in those persons predisposed to kill. Having constructed his archetype of the serial killer, the author concludes by suggesting how diagnostic tools could be constructed and employed by psychologists, criminologists and law enforcement officials to recognise the serial killer and to arrest the cycle of violence.