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In some cases, the abuse of children by their parents is barbaric, and it seems little wonder that anything but a fledgling serial killer would come from such horrible squalor.

Childhood abuse may not be the sole excuse for serial killers, but it is an undeniable factor in many of their backgrounds.

In looking to the parents for explanations, we see both horrifying mothers and fathers. The blame usually falls on the mother, who has been described as too domineering or too distant, too sexually active or too repressed. Perhaps the mother is blamed more because the father has often disappeared, therefore "unaccountable." When the father is implicated, it is usually for sadistic disciplinarian tactics, alcoholic rants, and overt anger toward women.

stress caused by childhood 'traumatizations' may be a trigger to criminal behavior in adulthood.  It is important to understand that most people go through one or more of these traumatizations with no lifelong effects.  However, in the future serial killer, the inability to cope with the stress involved with these traumas leads to the offending acts

Perry's mental health is even more questionable; he suffers from "'paranoid' orientation," "poorly controlled rage," and a disordered thought process

Lack of empathy, guilt, conscience or remorse Shallow experiences of feelings or emotions Impulsivity and a weak ability to defer gratification and control behavior Superficial charm and glibness Irresponsibility and a failure to accept responsibility for their actions A grandiose sense of their own wort

g Smith and Hickock: namely, a complete disregard for human life. Each man knows that society says it is wrong to kill another person, but they simply do not care. Capote insinuates that this lack of compassion for others is itself a type of insanity.