Running head: 1-2 Journal: Topic Selection 1-2 Journal: Topic Selection Ariel Lippencott Southern New Hampshire University PSY-310 1/4/24
1-2 Journal 2 Of the three scenarios provided, the topic selection I chose is Serial Murder. I chose this topic because I always wanted to know what goes on inside a killer's mind. I also enjoy watching crime shows such as NCIS, NCIS Hawaii, Criminal Minds, and CSI. I have always wondered how these fictional criminals relate to reality. For instance, do they think the same way or is it made up to what we think they think. The type of crimes represented in my scenario are vandalism, violence, harassment, prostitution, and murder. Wuornos had shot and murdered seven men along various Florida highways. In mid-December 1989, the body of Richard Mallory was found in a junkyard, with five more men's bodies discovered over the following months. Wuornos killed Siems, whose body was never recovered. Wuornos had many factors that motivated her to commit these crimes. These motivational factors could be from childhood trauma. For instance, "as a child, Wuornos experienced profound psychosocial trauma within her family system. Her father was a convicted child molester that killed himself while serving prison time, her mother was overwhelmed by the responsibilities of motherhood, so she abandoned Wuornos and her older brother, Keith, who were ultimately raised by their grandparents. Wuornos's grandmother suffered from alcoholism, while her grandfather was prone to outward displays of extreme neglectful and violent behavior, which included occasionally forcing the Wuornos children out of the home to live in the woods. Their grandfather reportedly engaged in sexual contact with both siblings, then Wuornos became pregnant at age 14, claiming that Keith was the father, and was sent to a home for unwed mothers and gave the baby up for adoption" (SNHU, 2023). Wuornos suffered great traumas as a cognitively developing child. I believe her experiences in childhood led to her psychopathy in adulthood.
1-2 Journal 3 References: SNHU. (2023). Psy 310 final project scenario serial murder. PSY 310 Final Project Scenario Serial Murder - Southern New Hampshire University. https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/lor/viewer/view.d2l?ou=6606&loIdentId=25056