The apparent rise in the modem serial or multiple killers has incited interest in various social sciences, and researchers have begun to explore the social, psychological, and biological makeup of these offenders in order to establish accurate profiles. To date, the body of knowledge remains small when compared with the number of unanswered questions pertaining to serial murder, especially the extent of the phenomenon. Jenkins (1988) argues that to a great degree the panic surrounding the phenomenon of serial murder during the early 1980s stemmed more from misinterpretation of Uniform Crime Report data than an actual surge of new cases.
Besides methodological issues, Jenkins also notes that armed with this 'new wave' of mass murderers the Justice Department was able to justify the creation of a National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, including VICAP, or Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. While the controversy continues over the extent of serial killer, the need for more research has gathered momentum.
In addition, comparable data on victims of crime, especially those of homicide, are limited. Researchers have recognized for some time the need to understand the victim and his/her involvement with the offender. Hewitt (1988) reviewed the body of literature of victim-offender relationships in homicides based upon data from a large heterogeneous population. He then examined demographic characteristics of victims and offenders in the often publicized community of Middletown (Muncie, Indiana) and found the victim offender relationships to be similar to those in larger cities.
Studies in victimization assist in clarifying the victim side of the offender-victim relationship, measure in part the degree of vulnerability and culpability of certain victims, and often reveal the social dynamics of criminal acts. Case study analysis in serial killer has begun to provide researchers with insightful information, however tenuous. Elliot Leyton (1986) for example, in his................
