Serial Killers D&D

I was reading up on Jeffrey Dahmer. It says on his Wikipedia page that as a child he mutated and killed animals often as a hobby. I learned in a Psychology class that this is a clear sign of mental instability, and often the beginning of serial killing. Do you think serial killers show signs before they kill? Do you think if the signs are noticed that their killings can be prevented?

ETA: also, john gacy, dahmer etc were all molested at a young age. perhaps this correlates with their behavior?

only hindsight is 20/20.

I do. People don't just wake up one day and decide to go on a killing spree out of boredom. There are underlying issues for behavior like that.

Serial* sorry I had to lol.

But yea I have heard often as kids serial killers display actions like hurting animals & stuff. I don't think anyone can really predict what it will mean in the future for that child. I am sure there are many children who display those issues & don't grow up to be serial killers but have other things going on.

Yes, i think that there are always signs that point to a serial killer. However, sometimes people don't connect those dots until after the killings

yes. a lot of serial killers, rapists, etc. start at very young ages doing those types of things. killing animals, playing rough or in abstract ways with other kids, if they even socialize with other kids..

To add. Yes, they do things to show they will kill I think... but I doubt we would notice them or whatever because we couldn't "see that person doing that" or whatever.

Quoting Kelly&Coralie:" Yes, i think that there are always signs that point to a serial killer. However, sometimes people don't connect those dots until after the killings"

This is true too.

Quoting ❥ Meℓi:" Serial* sorry I had to lol. But yea I have heard often as kids serial killers display actions like hurting ... [snip!] ... sure there are many children who display those issues & don't grow up to be serial killers but have other things going on."

Thanks. Normally I'm the spelling Nazi but I've slept maybe 3 hours in the past two days.

Quoting JiLLiAN.:" yes. a lot of serial killers, rapists, etc. start at very young ages doing those types of things. killing ... [snip!] ... types of things. killing animals, playing rough or in abstract ways with other kids, if they even socialize with other kids.."

This was also stated in several cases I've read, typically the male serial killers. that they have no interaction with other people.

Absolutely. There are almost always warning signs or signs that they are capable of something. But alot of people don't want to believe that that person could do something like that or the warning signs are from when they are children. And alot of serial killers have been molested, abused as children. Not that it excuses their behavior but statistics show they have been molested or abused.

Quoting Jas ♥:" I do. People don't just wake up one day and decide to go on a killing spree out of boredom. There are underlying issues for behavior like that."

Absolutely! There are typically always signs to preclude smurf like that, people just don't know how to look for them, and wouldn't know them if they saw them, most likely.

I do whole-heartedly believe that if mental care were more readily accessible, there would be fewer cases of serial killers/mass murderers.

There is actually like three major signs that point to serial killer potential in people's behavior. It's called the Macdonald Triad. It's just a theory, but it's basically animal cruelty, pyromania, and excessive bedwetting past the age of 5.

Quoting Loka Lokita:" This was also stated in several cases I've read, typically the male serial killers. that they have no interaction with other people."

Yeah, it's weird.

I also believe that it's something they can't control. So many people would have never been caught had it not been for the one last time they went and killed another. Like Dennis Rader, and local to me, The Bike Path Rapist. Wouldn't have been caught had they not done it one last time.

My mom went to school with Jeffrey Dahmer and he was one of those weird kids that no one talks to. And the animal killing thing freaked everyone out too