What drives people like IAN Huntley and HAROLD Shipman to kill innocent people?

Question

Huntley targeted the young and Shipman targeted the old. You can't say it's revenge or anything like that. What were their chidhoods like? Usually people who become killers have had very disturbing childhoods

Answer 1

I don't know, I haven't met them, let alone been their counsellor or their spiritual guide.



I followed Soham more than the other story. Ian may be a "psychopath" (see reference).



Why do some people develop psychopathies? My own thinking is that the most likely influence to pull a person in that direction would be a trauma or series of traumas that makes it feel desperately essential to switch off connection with other people's emotions. Fighting a war can do that to one. So can being helpless in the presence of torture or abuse ~ e.g. in a concentration camp. Or having to give torture or abuse in fear of one's own life. (Imagine!)



And then a person who has been through all that in one life comes back in another with a psychopathic predisposition, which is then reinfirced by childhood events which feel cruel and heartless but which another child would react less anti- or rather dis-socially to.

Answer 2

Harold Shipman Childhood

Answer 3

In my opinion I believe that people who take the lives of innocent people for nothing more then personal pleasure are indeed psychopaths but I believe there is more to it than that, I believe that there must be some kind of brain damage, something that they are born with or has occured in childhood. My serial killers report serious head injuries in childhood, could this be the link? Having a bad childhood can not be 'blamed' for somebody taking another persons life, hundreds and thousands of people have bad childhoods and go on to be loving caring adults, there has to be more to it than that. In saying that, thousands of children suffer from serious head injuries in childhood and dont turn to murder, so could it be that there is a certain part of the brain that if effected causes a person to become psychopathic.

Answer 4

Its interesting there are no REAL answers here to the question mostly pointless tabloid ramblings calling them psychos, loonies , nutters etc. which doesnt explain anyrthing.

Maybe this is because nobody really knows what makes ppl behave this way.

If we could answer the question i guess we'd start filtering them out at an early age and start err.. killing THEM!

For me the more important question is what to do with them after weve had our 'day in court ' with them.

Personally, I think euthanasia should be actively encouraged for these ppl.Why its seen as a bad thing when these people actually suceed in killing themselves in prison is beyond me. Seems very sadistic of society to leave people in prison for 30 or more years. Think they should have an option of euthanasia if they want it. However I am NOT supportive of forced euthanasia(capital punishment) which is little more than legalised murder and no better than the murdereres actions.

Answer 5

I think for Shipman it was greed and for Huntley it was just a sick, twisted mind. Chilhood plays a big part in every individual life but what you want to be is completely up to you and no one can take that away. There are two paths in life, right and wrong what you choose is up to you.

Answer 6

Everything is put down to childhood..... bring back hanging that;s all they deserve. They both had good childhoods by all accounts, blamr media for huntley and greed for shipman.

Answer 7

are they sick, there are many ways of killing, is a soldier in a war sick for killing? or does he just have freedom from society and may even enjoy the kill.



I imagine its a power trip combined with psychosis leading to a severe lack of empathy. Plus there must be an attraction to breaking the rules.



But I dont know what really drives them, I have never killed a human so I wouldnt know.

Answer 8

Anything or Nothing. There is no absolute answer. If you could answer that question with 100% accuracy, you would win a nobel prize. Nothing in psychology is 100% accurate.

Answer 9

I think the two killers are completely different Shipman was much more dedicated and seemed to plan his killings to a greater extent and also saved the NHS countless millions on hip replacements and meals on wheels

Answer 10

any number of reasons but it could be because of a defect in their brain which doesnt allow them to think things through, and they dont think things like this as wrong, or it could be due to their childhood and things that have happened to them and now they want to show other people how it feels

Answer 11

there just sick in the head.. i dont think that unless your as sick and twisted as these people, that no-one would ever be able to get inside there head and understand what makes them tick and what drives them to carry out such sick murders on the innocent.... there just very sick people.... i think MAYBE a troubled childhood would have some affect on them, but i think it would have to be one very disturbing and troubled childhood to drive them to do such a terrible crime....

Answer 12

A total lack of regard for life and no remorse. There should be a death penalty for such evil crimes. I wont even kill a spider.

Answer 13

They have a twisted sense of logic. A different mindset to the rest of the world.

Answer 14

Spending too much time on Yahoo Answers? I think it's starting to give me psychotic tendencies.

Answer 15

Some critical enzyme goes wrong

Answer 16

They are purely evil. It makes me sick when people use the excuse that they are mentally ill or have some sort of illness. There is only one reason why they do it -THEY ARE EVIL.

Answer 17

Psychopathic personality- lack of empathy

Answer 18

If I could answer your question, I would be one seriuosly filthy rich psycologist/shrink!

Answer 19

because they dont care about their own lives, therefore dont feel the need to care about others, unlike normal humans.

Answer 20

I do believe you've answered your own question. Congratulations!!!

Answer 21

absolute lunacy

Answer 22

i cant belive barry said that

Answer 23

They're just troubled - period.

Answer 24

cause they r seriously mad