| It is not surprising that behaviours exhibited by some serial murderers are viewed as reprehensible by the majority of the North American population. However, the possible impact of the widespread cultural acceptance of violence toward other animals should not be overlooked when examining the behaviours associated with serial murder. Abhorrence is expressed in relation to the violence exhibited toward humans by those who would hunt and kill other humans, cannibalize them and/or utilize their body parts as trophies, while the practices which support violence toward other animals go relatively unquestioned. Although the expected counter-argument to the points presented in this paper would be that serial murder is taboo, while exploiting animals for their flesh (and other purposes) is culturally acceptable, this is essentially a speciesist argument-there are some members of North American society who are greatly disturbed by the killing, eating, and/or displaying as trophies of animals other than humans. Examining deeply-engrained cultural attitudes, arguments, and justifications which sustain an animal-abusing culture may help us to understand particular behaviours exhibited by some serial murderers. After all, the exploitative treatment of animals by humans, and the treatment of some serial murder victims by their aggressors, are not dissimilar. |
Updated 05/20/2006