Forensic psychologists debate the term "female serial killer" because murderesses don't kill for the same reasons as murderers. The psychological disorders are different.
Female serial killers are literally more likely to get away with murder than male serial killers are. Murderesses can kill for years without getting caught because they're driven by different motivations; murderers tend to get caught before too much time has passed. Female killers have different psychological disorders, which may affect rates of female violence, motivation, and modus operandi. Motives are why femal serial killers kill - and why they don't get caught right away.
Serial Killer Robert Pickton on Trial
Killing's been on my mind a lot lately – and not because my husband leaves the toilet seat up. Serial killers have been on my mind because of the Robert Pickton trial in New Westminster, BC, which is less than an hour from my little island off the west coast of Canada. Pickton allegedly murdered, chopped up, and buried many female prostitutes at his pig farm in Port Coquitlam, BC. Pickton's currently on trial for murder; this trial will hear 240 witnesses over a year and perhaps reveal more information about the victims and his motivations.
How Female Serial Killers Are Different Than Male Serial Killers
We know of many male serial killers: Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Jack the Ripper, John Wayne Gacy – and their reasons for killing are as varied as their own personalities and methods. They kill because of voices in their head, bad childhoods, prison stints, and accidents. Male serial killers suffer from a variety of psychological disorders.
Why Female Serial Killers Kill
We don't hear of many female serial killers, and that may be partly because women aren't as prone to commit any type of crime as men. Men are more aggressive and violent than women are, which is why female serial killers are less common. Women account for 14% of violent offenders (men are 6 times more likely to commit violent crimes).
Because women don't kill for the same reasons as men, forensic psychologists find the term "female serial killer" controversial. This term is defined by sexual motivation and the desire for power over victims, which are characteristics that murderesses don't usually display. Female serial killers kill for other reasons.
Following are the significant differences between male and female serial killers.
Characteristics of Female Serial Killers:
Female serial killers have long killing sprees, lasting up to 8 years (males' sprees almost never last longer than 4 years and usually end after several months).
Female serial killers kill more quietly and less "violently", with poison or other less undetectable methods, like suffocation. Males tend to batter, strangle, stab, and shoot.
Female serial killers kill for profit most of the time, while male serial killers kill for sexual reasons about half the time.
Female serial killers generally kill people close to them, such as husbands, family members, or people dependent on them. Males kill strangers more often.
Three Similarities Between Male and Female Serial Killers
They look, act, and sound normal – which makes people trust them.
They are psychopaths, but they're not insane.
Neither male nor female serial killers have a conscience.
Female serial killers are divided into nine categories: black widows, angels of death, sexual predators, revenge killers, profit killers, team killers, killers whose sanity is in question, killers whose motives defy explanation, and unsolved crimes.
Past abuse, struggles with depression, feelings of anxiety may all contribute to female violent crimes and violence, but the overriding psychopathology goes beyond these "normal" struggles that we all face.
If you found Why Female Serial Killers Kill interesting, try:
The copyright of the article Why Female Serial Killers Kill in Child Psychology is owned by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen. Permission to republish Why Female Serial Killers Kill in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
If these are reason why women kill. Then u will think they will be easy to
be caught.
Oct 16, 2008 7:26 AM
Guest :
i hate murders :(
Oct 20, 2008 3:07 PM
Guest :
Murderers are just people like you and me, but they have a severe problem
within their mind. Something has afflicted them, and turned them into what
they have become.
Oct 22, 2008 9:01 AM
Guest :
You mention that men are more aggressive and violent than women. This is a
simplification. Women don't commit as many violent crimes mostly because
they are physically weaker than males, so they are less likely to use
violence while committing crimes (guys can overpower people much easier and
will have a much higher success rate while using violence). There are
hundreds of studies that show that women are as violent, if not more
violent, then men. This link: http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm is
to a site with many studies showing that women are as aggressive as men
(though the studies are only about relationships).
Nov 28, 2008 9:58 AM
Guest :
I have a problem with the way the characteristics are worded. Spree
killers are killers who kill 4 or more victims within days weeks or months,
while serial killers have 4 or more vicitms within months or years.
Dec 27, 2008 2:38 PM
Guest :
This article was creepy but very informational. I can only question some of
the material because the article states that female killers tend to go a
long time without being caught but it also states that they kill those who
are close to them--"Female serial killers generally kill people close
to them, such as husbands, family members, or people dependent on
them" You would think that would make them the prime suspect. In fact,
according to studies, male killers select strangers because the chances of
getting away with the crime is greater than killing someone you know.
Jan 3, 2009 8:34 PM
Guest :
Females should kill to show power over victims, becuase they are considered
weaker !!!
Jan 3, 2009 8:34 PM
Guest :
Females should kill to show power over victims, becuase they are considered
weaker !!!
Feb 12, 2009 9:27 AM
Guest :
this is interesting. i like. i mean i dont like to kill, but this
is a good article...
Feb 15, 2009 4:11 PM
Guest :
Although a lot of this information is probably correct, you truly can not
group "females" and "males" into different categories,
not truly. There are some very violent, females serial killers who would
gladly violently beat someone to death--and there are male serial killers
who would probably prefer to kill using "quieter" methods, such
as poison. But other than that, this was a very good article.
Feb 15, 2009 6:22 PM
Guest :
these women are clearly troubled but maybe the reason why they never seem
to kill for sexual purposes is because it is more likely that they were
sexually abused
Apr 23, 2009 4:06 PM
Guest :
what about the women that have beeen abused by men her whole life its not
jus a reason to kill she may think of it as a way to get back at all the
men that abuser her or hurt her before.everybody has been abused by a male
before if your a women so its easy to say thats what targets it and for
some reason i have been interested in to and im only 16
May 14, 2009 10:27 AM
Guest :
This article is very helpful but it shows very little about WHY female
'serial killers' kill. There isn't really anything about why, except to
state why they are different from men. This should be given another name,
like 'How Female serial killers are different from male serial killers'. I
like that you did the comparing though, that was very informational. Thank
you for taking time to write this. I am a person that is very into the
psychological part of all serial killers. I do enjoy trying to figure them
out.
May 20, 2009 7:54 AM
Guest :
anybody can be a serial killer its what drives people to do what they do
that sets them apart
Jun 21, 2009 9:32 PM
Guest :
If women kill for gain such as insurance money would you think in bad
economic times the rates of female serial killers will rise, especially if
they have the fear of becoming homeless and unable to feed themself or
their children? I wonder and worry.
Jun 22, 2009 5:16 AM
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen :
Good point. But, I don't think female serial killers kill strictly because
they need money; there are whole host of other personality and genetic
factors going on. I don't know if serial killings rise in economic
depressions -- but that sure is a fascinating question!
Aug 11, 2009 7:38 PM
Guest :
Very informative article.
I'd like to reply to the Guest who
posted on April 23: Not everyone gets abused in their lifetime. My mom and
a couple of my friends were fortunate to not have endured abuse as children
or adults. But you do make a good point when you mention that abuse could
contribute as a reason why women (or men) kill. However, I myself was
abused as a child (and a young adult), but that doesn't mean I'm going to
go out and kill a bunch of people.
