Date of Conferral
2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Eric Hickey
Abstract
Previous studies of serial murderers have focused primarily on male serial murderers.The reason for this is unknown, but is primarily reflective of media patterns, gender roles, and social norms that often exclude females from conversations surrounding female serial murder. This study focused on the psychosocial characteristics of female serial murderers. Both solo female serial murderers and serial murderers who worked with one partner were studied. Using a grounded theory approach, based on the review of 11 secondary data case studies, 12 female serial murderers were studied; six who murdered individually and six who murdered within a team. Six main themes emerged: presence of early childhood trauma, presence of antisocial behavior, presence of sexual deviance, presence of team disintegration, and presence of romantic instability. These findings contribute to the knowledge about female serial murderers. Positive social change may occur through confirmation of previous findings and additional knowledge for law enforcement, behavioral analysts, and forensic professionals, which may assist with the identification and incarceration of female serial offenders.
Recommended Citation
Strebel, Rachael, "Examining Psychosocial Characteristics of Female Serial Murderers" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 11580.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/11580
