Aileen's Hedonistic Serial Killers

Rationale Based upon Aileen’s crimes, scholars would suggest that she is a hedonistic, comfort killer that was motivated by profit (Ioannuo, 2010). More specifically, Holmes and Holmes (1998) would classify her as a hedonistic serial killer, in that she “seeks pleasure and benefits from killing and derives satisfaction from the murder event” (Ioannou, 2010, p.310). Aileen classifies as a comfort killer according to Holmes and Holmes (1998) because she committed her murders as a means for profit and material gain (Ioannuo, 2010). The primary motive behind Aileen’s series of murders was money and material possessions. Regardless of how scholars classify Aileen, when one looks at her life it can be understood how early developmental and environmental factors contributed to her violent behavior. Discussing personal …show more content…
There is an assumption that some people have more criminogenic personalities that are generated by psychological and social development (Henson, n.d.). More specifically, criminal behavior can be linked to antisocial behavior, which refers to behaviors that go against social norms and values, and are often associated with hostility, aggression and disruptive behaviors (Henson, n.d.). There are three psychological elements that construct antisocial personalities, which Aileen Wuornos exhibited. First, she was an extroversion that loved to be out at local bars socializing with others, but was also impulsive and aggressive. She was neurotic, in that, she had a low self-esteem that was likely a product of her upbringing, was moody and emotional. Lastly, she demonstrated psychoticism. During her conviction, Aileen stated, “ I robbed them and killed them as cold as ice, and I would do it again, and I know I would kill another person because I’ve hated humans for a long time” (Broomfield, 2004). This demonstrates her cold, unempathetic, impulsive