Title: 5 Myths about Serial Killers and Why They Persist [Excerpt] - Scientific American
Headings: 5 Myths about Serial Killers and Why They Persist [Excerpt]
5 Myths about Serial Killers and Why They Persist [Excerpt]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (S)

Content: Myth #1: All Serial Killers Are Men. Reality: This is simply not true but it is understandable why the public would hold this erroneous belief. As late as 1998, a highly regarded former FBI profiler said “there are no female serial killers.” The news and entertainment media also perpetuate the stereotypes that all serial offenders are male and that women do not engage in horrible acts of violence. When the lethality of a femme fatale is presented in book or film, she is most often portrayed as the manipulated victim of a dominant male. This popular but stereotypical media image is consistent with traditional gender myths in society which claim that boys are aggressive by nature while girls are passive. In fact, both aggressiveness and passivity can be learned through socialization and they are not gender specific. The reality concerning the gender of serial killers is quite different than the mythology of it.