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Psychoanalytical approach to serial killers
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1996.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | Eng |
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University of Pretoria
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613533013803008 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Aronstam, Maurice Albert |
| author_browse | Aronstam, Maurice Albert |
| author_facet | Aronstam, Maurice Albert |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 1996 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1996. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/32402 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | Eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:37:39.235Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/32402 Psychoanalytical approach to serial killers Aronstam, Maurice Albert Pistorius, Micki Serial killers Serial homicide Freud Melanie Klein Psychoanalysis Psychosexual developmental phases Qualitative research Case study method Station Strangler St Charles serial killer UCTD Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1996. The phenomenon of serial killers is increasing world wide. During the past decade the most memorable cases of serial homicide in South Africa have been those of the "Norwood serial killer", the "Station Strangler", the "Cleveland serial killer", "The Gaunteng serial killer" and the "St Charles serial killer". The enigma surrounding serial killers is the so-called "lack of motive'' for the murders. No extrinsic motive such as robbery, financial gain, revenge or passion exists as there usually would be in the case of other murders. The available literature indicates that several theories have been proposed to explain the origin of serial homicide, but none can explain sufficiently to the author why one person with a certain type of background and exposed to a certain environment becomes a serial killer, whilst another, with a similar background and circumstances does not. The theories that are discussed are the socio-cultural factors, Ressler's motivational model, systemic factors, demonic possession, neurological factors, psychogenic factors and fantasy. In this thesis the author attempts to answer the question "What is the origin of serial homicide" by applying selected aspects of the psychoanalytic theories of Freud and Melanie Klein on two case studies of South African serial killers. The author formulates twenty nine statements of her own, based on the theories of Freud and Klein which she applies to the two case studies. The cases of the "Station Strangler" in Mitchell's Plain, Cape province, and the "St Charles serial killer" in Donnybrook, KwaZulu Natal are selected. Both of these serial killers are organized in their modus operandi, but the "Station Strangler" is a ego-dystonic killer and the "St Charles serial killer" a ego-syntonic serial killer. The method of research is a qualitative case study method. The author divides the selected aspects of Freud and Klein's theories into categories and analyses the two cases presented according to these categories. In the final chapter she draws maps to illustrate the psychoanalytical developmental paths of serial killers in general and for each of the two cases. Multiple data sources are used for example interviews with the serial killers and their families, police dockets, court proceedings and psychiatric records. Multiple data sources, explanation building and replication by way of multiple case studies are employed to ensure construct validity, internal validity and external validity respectively. Reliability is supported by entering the data in a South African Police Service data base. In conclusion the author compares the differences and similarities between the two case studies, and discusses the statements which are supported by this research. She also recommends that those statements which are not supported, be discussed in consecutive case studies. The statements are generalized to all serial killers. gm2013 Psychology unrestricted 2013-11-12T11:33:57Z 2013-11-12T11:33:57Z 1996-09-02 1996 Thesis Pistorius, M. 1996, A psychoanalytical approach to serial killers, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/32402> D13/9/996/gm http://hdl.handle.net/2263/32402 Eng © 1996 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Serial killers Serial homicide Freud Melanie Klein Psychoanalysis Psychosexual developmental phases Qualitative research Case study method Station Strangler St Charles serial killer UCTD Psychoanalytical approach to serial killers |
| title | Psychoanalytical approach to serial killers |
| title_full | Psychoanalytical approach to serial killers |
| title_fullStr | Psychoanalytical approach to serial killers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychoanalytical approach to serial killers |
| title_short | Psychoanalytical approach to serial killers |
| title_sort | psychoanalytical approach to serial killers |
| topic | Serial killers Serial homicide Freud Melanie Klein Psychoanalysis Psychosexual developmental phases Qualitative research Case study method Station Strangler St Charles serial killer UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/32402 |