|
.
Articles » The Psychological Profiles of Killers
Troubled Youths: To Be or Not To Be
Tina Chiu
Can it be true that good and evil can be determined at birth? Some believed that people turn to criminal activities through no fault of their own. They're simply born with the wrong genetic make-up and have the brain chemistry that makes them what they are. The question of nature vs. nurture is a highly disputed one today. Were Kip Kinkel, Luke Woodham, Michael Carneal, Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Golden born with the wrong DNA that made them kill 15 people and wound 44 others? Or did their exposure to violent role-playing games, destructive musical lyrics and militia training and experience with firearms really to blame for their heinous acts of hate? Perhaps it was their sense of inadequacy compared to their high achieving siblings that drove them over the edge. One way or another, the psychological aspects of the boys cannot be ignored. Teased at school, some taunted gay by classmates, others spurned in matters of love by ex-girlfriends and yet even victims of violent abuse, some sexual in content, it is not surprising that these boys exploded. Forget the question of who is to blame? Perhaps we should direct our concerns to how we can help these boys and prevent such incidences from occurring again.
|
Cloud, John,
Of Arms and the Boy, Time, July 6, 1998, Vol.152 No. 1
|
