Serial killers are the most vicious criminals ever to come into contact with the criminal justice system. Questions are asked to why serial killers do what they do is it genetic, hormonal, biological, or cultural conditioning. Whether it be the way one grew up or the events one witnessed as a child no one will really know the true reasoning why someone goes off and snaps turning themselves into an emotionless individual. With serial killers there are six ways to define a serial murderer. The first is a minimum of three to four victims, the murders are unconnected and usually the killer is a stranger to the victim. Third the murders give the killer a sadist dominance over the victim, the motive behind the killings is usually psychological not material or for profit. Fifth is that the victim may symbolize something and the way the victim is killed may reveal the meaning. Finally, vulnerability is something that serial killers pray upon, usually prostitutes, runaways, etc.
Childhood is one aspect that is looked upon to maybe determine the reasons why someone would grow up to kill is such vicious ways. Some who have turned out to become serial killers were fascinated by sick and sadistic violence at an early age. For instance, serial killer Ed Kemper played execution games with his sister's dolls, he would behead the dolls and once he told his sister that if he were to kiss his teacher he would have to kill her first. People look at serial killers as those who grow up in a horrible upbringing and that everyone who has a horrible childhood grows up to mutilate and torment people. What psychologists have found is that parents who us the harsh disciplinary to toughen the kid often results in disastrous results and that's how most serial killers are made. The lack of love creates an isolation, which may lead to intense violent fantasies, and these fantasies become a primary source of gratification.