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CHAPTER OUTLINE:
V. Neutralization Theory
A. Rationalization and Neutralization
B. Attribution of Blame
C. Dehumanization
CHAPTER SUMMARY:
Serial killers have been linked to childhood maladaptive behaviors, known as the
MacDonald Triad, such as torturing animals; enuresis, or chronic bed-wetting; and fire-
setting. A correlation exists between youth with such behaviors, and they do appear
more often among the serial-killer population than among nonoffenders. Among serial
killers, there may exist one or more predispositional factors that influence their behavior.
Hickey’s trauma-control model assists in understanding the process by which
individuals become involved in serial murder. Many children who later become serial
killers have experienced some form of childhood trauma that was not or could not be
effectively countered by therapeutic strategies. At some point in the trauma-control
process, the offender may begin to immerse him- or herself in facilitators. Facilitators
may include alcohol and other drugs, pornography, and on rare occasions, books on the
occult. The trauma-control model of violent behavior describes, in effect, the cyclical
experience of serial offenders. Fantasies, possibly fueled by pornography or alcohol,
reinforced by “routine” traumatizations of day-to-day living, keep the serial killer caught
up in a self-perpetuating cycle of fantasies, stalking, and violence.
KEY TERMS: