Dominique Pierre

Mrs. Gilroy
Research Paper
Nature versus Nurture
For many years, the topic of whether or not criminal behavior is caused by genetic
or environmental factors has triggered great controversy. Some officials suggest that the
most heinous serial killers are deviant because of their genetic makeup. This concept is
invalid. In fact, their criminal actions are caused by both genetic, and environmental
factors as seen in the cases of David Joseph Carpenter, Albert Fish, Edward Gein, and
Jerry Brudos. As suggested by experts in criminology, Nature does choose what traits
we are born with, but at the same time these traits cannot be exposed without a
mechanism that triggers these individuals to commit these horrific crimes (Serial
Killers).
Nature and nurture causes many individual differences, especially in behavioral
traits. John Locke created the idea of tabula rasa in 1960, the idea that when a human is
born they are born with a blank slate, meaning that peoples traits are most likely from
the nurture effect. For example, Bandura's Social Learning Theory shows that a child is
taught aggression from their environment. Many people are confused at to which side
they should take because there are many valid points that each side has.
There are several different elements that are tied into environmental influences.
For example, learned experiences in school and outside and parenting techniques have a

huge impact on personality traits. The Social Learning Theory, which has grown to be the
most well known learning theory in the world, has provided proof to the nurture side. The
Social Learning Theory states that people learn new behaviors from observing others.
Nature and nurture have many similarities and differences to them. For example,
nature is connected with the biological approach and psychoanalysis. They both
contribute to the cognitive psychology of people. Nurture is connected to humanism, and
behaviorism. The argument of nature versus nurture brings out the belief that there are
two groups of people. The two groups of people are: nativists and empiricists. Nativists
are individuals that strongly believe that the idea of nature is why individuals grow up to
be who they are. Meanwhile, empiricists believe in nurture. Bobo Doll Experiment is an
experiment that was carried out by Bandura in 1961. The experiment was to observe if
social behaviors could be learnt from observation. This experiment can relate to todays
common question which is, do violent video games contribute to childrens violent
behavior. Bobo Doll Experiment was effective in many ways and still till this day has a
massive effect on current studies.
Serial killers have many differences from murders. One difference is the motive
behind their killing. Majority of the time, serial killers kill to fulfill their sexual desires or
their fantasies. By fulfilling their needs, they find strangers to kill, which makes the
crimes a lot more difficult when trying to find a connection between the two. Having
strangers as their victims are the main reason why many serial killers get away with their
crimes. Furthermore, a large amount of serial killers do not have a degree or even a
diploma from high school. However, serial killers are extremely sneaky and intelligent in

many ways. They are called sneaky because they have to plan out how to kill without
leaving a trace, and how to kill each individual in general.
The media has portrayed a completely wrong description of what serial killers are.
Movies, television series, and even games have shown that serial killers wear masks and
walk around with tools to scare people, which is very wrong and dramatic. The media has
created an image that has altered how regular civilians see serial killers. Many civilians
now believe that serial killers can be pointed out, but in reality, serial killers have the
nature aspect to them, which lets them blend into society very well. Serial killers hide
their real personalities until they get what they want. Serial killers are very clever with
who they share their identity with, but once it is shown they are ready to kill.
Several people wonder why people take their ideas to actual reality. Many argue
thats because of ones biologically make-up. Studies show that if one has been through
dramatic experiences while in their young it has affected the amount of aggression and
anger one child has while growing up. Young children who do not get comfort or love in
their own household go out and seek it in abnormal ways. There are numerous cases that
show that serial killers begin their incorrect behavior by killing small animals. They kill
small animals because as a child that is the only thing that you could have control over.
David Joseph Carpenter, better known as Trailside Killer, was an American
serial killer who had the characteristics of a rapist. Carpenter had a rough childhood, by
being physically abused by his father, who was an alcoholic and had a forceful mother.
Being the only child, he then suffered a stutter and had an extreme bed-wetting problem.
Also, Carpenter tortured animals at a very young age, and molested two of his cousins at

the age of 17. Studies have shown that violent and aggressive criminals are more likely
to have abused animals as children than criminals who are considered non-aggressive
(Childhood).
Carpenter was arrested a countless number of times. He was arrested for rape,
murders, and kidnapping just to name a few. He was in and out of prison like it was his
job. Carpenter had aggressive issues that explained he had a challenging childhood, but
that was no excuse for his actions. His name was associated with the Zodiac murders for
a while, until he was cleared, but then through other names under the bus. Carpenter was
known as the Trailside killer because more than four of his victims were found in a
park. The victims disappeared while they were hiking on their days off.
Albert Fish is just one of the many serial killers who had developed criminal
tendencies as a result of their environment, and genetic makeup. Albert Fish was born
into a family, who had many generations of mental illnesses. Many family members
pasted away while he was little and his mother sent him to an orphanage at a young age.
When neglected at an early age children begin to stress and get confused as they get
older. In a study of sixty two male serial killers, Eric Hicky a criminologist found that,
forty eight percent of them had been rejected as children by a parent or some other
important person in their lives (Fox 113). Fish was beaten, and abused in the orphanage
regularly. From that he started to take the pain and enjoyed it, because many of the
beatings gave him erections. The other children made fun of him because of it. He grew
up with little to no education and learned to work with his hands much more than to work
with his brain.

A little later on, at the age of twelve his mother was able to get a job and support
him again. By then, Fish had experienced so much so his mentally had changed
dramatically. He had started a homosexual relationship, drinking urine, and started to
enjoy his weekends by going to public baths where he could watch boys undress. About
eight years later, his mother arranged a marriage for him with a younger girl and they had
six children. Marring a female did not change anything because he still became a male
prostitute and still began to rape boys. During this time period, one of his male lovers
brought him to a waxworks museum, which he than became fascinated with penises.
After, being married for nineteen years his wife left him for a handyman. He started
hearing voices because of the rejection. As exhibited in psychological studies,
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects almost one out of every one
hundred people. The relatives of thousands of schizophrenia victims have been studied in
an attempt to assess the heritability of this disorder (Social Psychology 156).
He then began attacks, mostly on mentally challenged people and AfricanAmericans because he believed those type of people would not be missed. He also
started to send letters to women listed in newspapers of his sexual details he would like to
share with them. His environment affected Albert Fish, but his genetic makeup had to
have triggered his actions. There were other boys experiencing similar atrocities in the
orphanage Fish lived in yet they did not become serial killers.
Another example of a serial killer who has contributed to the argument of Nature
versus Nurture is Edward Gein. Edward Gein grew up in a household with his mother,
Augusta an abusive parent, but Edward still saw her as a Saint. Augusta looked down on
her husband, because he was an alcoholic and could not kept a steady job. Augusta was

very strict, and had a lot of rules. Edward and his one and only brother were not allowed
to date, and they could not even look at a female in a sexual manner. Augusta would
teach Edward and his brother that every female, besides herself is evil and a prostitute.
Augusta would punch Edward every time he tried to make friends, and he would get
bullied in school, but he did very well in school. Genes and glands are obviously
important, but social learning also has a dramatic role (Social Psychology 161). Augusta
powerfully believed that her two sons would end up a failure, and an alcoholic just like
her husband. Edward only had his brother as company, and vise versa.
After Edwards father died, Edward got really close to Augusta and did not even
want his own brother in the picture. Edward killed his brother, and then everything was
good in his eyes until his mother died. Edward then went crazy, and started robbing
graves of woman who resembled his mother. He would rob them and keep part of their
bodies as trophies. Robbing did not help his anger, he then started killing woman who
reminded him of his mother. In particular people who have committed aggressive
murders or have a social disorder have almost no brain activity in the orbital frontal
cortex or the anterior cingulated cortex while activity in the amygdale continued
perfectly (Nature vs.).
Jerry Brudos who is one of the most known serial killers is a great example of
how nature and nurture affect ones ability to handle specific situations. Brudos is known
as The Lust Killer and/or Show Fetish Slayer. Growing up with a mother who
wanted a girl, he was neglected most of the time. Brudos was given the name Show
Fetish Slayer because of his fetish for female shoes. At a young age he would stalk
women, then choke them out and flee the scene with their shoes. His obsession of shoes

was very rare, but not his only one. While being a teenager he also dug a hole and kept
girls as his sex slaves. He kept this secret until he became an electronics technician.
The obsession of having sex slaves was because of the resentment for his mother.
Many parents have no idea how much of an influence their attitudes are when becoming a
parent. Brudos got married to a female later on in life but he used many excuses to be
able to leave the house late at night to fulfill his obsessions. The shoe obsession increased
into undergarments, which then caused lies in his marriage. In the matter of a year Brudos
killed four women. After killing them he would keep evidence, like a pair of breast. He
would then masturbate to them while dressing up in womens shoes. He looked at the
shoes as pornography.
Serial killers have been a debatable topic for many years. Studies, still till this day
do not have an answer to weather or not nature or nurture is the reason for serial killers
behavior. The ongoing debate will forever prove that both contribute to the behaviors and
characteristics. The biological make-up of every individual is extremely different, but to
say that one is born with serial killer traits is intense. David Joseph Carpenter, Albert
Fish, Edward Gein, and Jerry Brudos are all cases that help prove that both nature and
nurture make a serial killer.
In conclusion, I believe that both nature and nurture make a serial killer. Many
people have proven that a persons initial nurturing and the environment around them
influence the decisions they make in every day life. Even though the debate of nature
versus nature is never ending, I believe it is obvious that both nature and nurture play an
essential role in the making of a serial killer. Nature and nurture are inseparable. Some

genes cannot be activated without certain environmental inputs.

Works Cited

Sara C. Haden and Angela Scarpa, Childhood Animal Cruelty: A

Fox, James Alan and Jack Levin. The Will to Kill: Making Sense of
Senseless Murder. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2001. Print.

"Nature Vs. Nurture The Un-Answered Question." Nature Vs

Social Psychology. Vol. 5. Danbury: Grolier Educational, 2002. Print.