Serial murderers and the potential correlation between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is a contentious and intricate subject. It is crucial to bear in mind that although evidence supports a correlation between ACEs and violent behavior, this does not necessarily imply all people with substantial ACE count are likely to become murderers.
That being said, most well-known serial killers have a considerable ACE profile.
Here are several key-points to consider:
Studies have shown that individuals who have experienced multiple ACEs are more likely to engage in violent crime, including homicide.
ACEs can have a significant impact on brain development and function, potentially leading to increased impulsivity, aggression, and difficulty regulating emotions.
Exposure to violence, abuse, and neglect during childhood can also lead to psychological trauma, which can contribute to mental health issues and violent behavior.
A comparison was made between the childhood abuse histories of fifty convicted serial murderers in the United States who were labeled as "lust killers" and the reported rates of childhood abuse in the general population, according to researchers from Radford University in Virginia. The serial murderer study group was subjected to significantly higher levels of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, according to their findings.
In 2005, Mitchell and Aamodt of Radford University in Virginia conducted a study with the objective of comparing the prevalence of child abuse among convicted serial killers, a sizable sample, to that of the general population. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether a history of childhood abuse correlates with the development of serial killings as an adult.
Their findings were compelling.
More recently,researchers at the University of Norther Florida (UNF) conducted a qualitative study that sought to investigate the top 10 serial killers, with the highest confirmed kills, in the United States between the 1970-90s and their ACE profiles.
Below are some of their findings.
SOURCES:
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Crime https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/adverse-childhood-experiences-and-crime
Serial Killers & Childhood Trauma https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1077&context=soarsÂ
Serial Killers And Childhood Abuse: Is There A Link? https://www.crimetraveller.org/2015/07/serial-killers-childhood-abuse/#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20of%20child%20abuse,murderous%20behavior%20in%20later%20life.
The Incidence of Child Abuse in Serial Killers http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Research%20-%20Forensic/2005%2020-1-Mitchell-40-47.pdfÂ