Ted Bundy’s last interview taken just hours before he was put to death was a very interesting look into the mind of a serial killer. Bundy, who admittedly murdered nearly 30 women throughout his lifetime, was being interviewed and asked about why he did what he did. The interview was telling in that he went into some detail, and even opined that violent porn was the impetus behind his crimes. He says that violent porn and media was what brought out his urges to kill, though Bundy was a known liar of epic proportions. Still, it makes one wonder if there is some truth to what he says.
At the time of this interview, Bundy had zero chance of stopping his death. He had no self serving reasons to say these things. Ted Bundy aside, do the facts back up the idea that violence in the media causes serial killers? Some say yes it does.
For example, in a study that looked at forty serial killers, 85 percent of them admitted that violent pornography was one of their favorite past times. Now is this a reflection of the person or the media? In other words, would we expect that type of deviant behavior because they were serial killers, or was the violent media part of how they got that way? According to the killers themselves, it was the latter. Surely, a violent serial killer can not blame violence in the media in entirety, but one could certainly see the link. It is undeniable.
Violence in the media is something that is a hot topic, if only because of censorship and the clear social decision against it. In spite of this, should this be looked upon more closely? For example:
Imagine, as hard as it is to do, that you are a serial killer. Try to put your mind in a place where violence against women, often sexual violence against women, was something that “turned you on” and caused you to kill and rape and murder. Now imagine that you just viewed Halloween, Friday the 13th, or some other violent movie laced with sexual overtones. You can see how this might be a trigger at the very least to send a serial killer out hunting, no?
And what if you were a young serial killer that had only fantasized. Maybe you were only a teen, and had never crossed that line. Certainly the violence and movies that you could easily view could spur you on in some way. The movies are now that real, and that powerful as a medium.
I think that violence in the media almost certainly helps to shape serial killers in some way, and to deny that is insane. The thing is, I do not think that we should necessarily censor that violence because of it, however. I know that seems contradictory, but it is not. Censorship would not change a serial killer into a normal person. They would simply seek out that stuff elsewhere. I would dare say that their is a percentage of potential serial killers out there who do not kill because they can live out the fantasy on their television screens.
Censorship would have to extend to so many areas of our lives once you opened that can of worms. For example, some serial killers are insanely turned on by the female foot. Does this mean that no movies are allowed with feet shown? This goes on and on.
The bottom line is that we need to raise our kids differently. We need to take better care of them, and make sure they are loved and protected. That would not save all the serial killers either, but it would be a start. It would certainly be more effective than eliminating violence on television just so they can go out and get it elsewhere. A large portion of serial killers are abused as children, so protecting them then is a much more powerful societal statement.
