Dennis Rader Essay

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Criminal Psychology Dennis Rader Abstract Criminal Behavior: A Systematic Approach by Bruce A. Arrigo, describes the many facets of a serial killer. Dennis Rader, BTK, relates to each of the chapters in this book. Dennis Rader was the serial killer, for a time, only known as BTK. BTK stood for "Bind, Torture, Kill", what he claimed to do to his victims. Rader grew up in Wichita, Kansas. He was known to many as a family man. He got married in 1971 and had two children. His first known murder took place in 1974. His last known killing took place in 1991. He sent letters to media outlets and police describing his murders. In 2005, he was found guilty of ten murders and is currently serving ten consecutive life sentences. When comparing biological theories of criminal behavior to Dennis Rader it was found that he grew up in church, had loving parents, a quiet and normal life, it would be expected that he would grow up to be a great person. This shows that there is more to Rader and the crimes he committed than the biological factors. Psychological theories look at different types of personality disorders. Dennis Rader definitely had some of the qualities of antisocial personality disorder. Rader showed no regard for the safety of others, aggressiveness, and by repeatedly committed murder. To say the least, he deviated from social norms. Sociological theories look at the social forces that can produce criminal behavior. Rader wanted to receive praise. For him to write the details of the murders down gave him power. He was all about control. He fed off the media and the attention he got. Reinforcement plays an important role in the social-psychological theories. Rader was reinforced by his actions. He got a sense of satisfaction from murdering his victims. He also got satisfaction from the

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