Title: The Unique Motives of Female Serial Killers | Psychology Today
Headings: The Unique Motives of Female Serial Killers
Scott A. Bonn Ph.D.
The Unique Motives of Female Serial Killers
Women kill for very different reasons than men.

Content: In addition, the news and entertainment media perpetuate stereotypes that serial offenders are all men, and that women do not engage in horrible acts of violence and murder. On the contrary, female serial killers certainly do exist, but their motivations differ significantly from their male counterparts. In particular, sex is generally much farther down on the list of motivations for female serial killers. In fact, sexual or sadistic motives are extremely rare among female serial murderers. Psychopathic traits and histories of childhood abuse are often found among the very few female serial killers who have sexual or sadistic motives. Unlike male serial killers who are frequently driven by sexual lust, female serial murderers tend to take a much more pragmatic approach to their killings. Female serial killers are much more likely than males to kill for profit or revenge , and, therefore, they are more likely to fall into the category of a hedonist comfort/gain killer than any other type. Unlike male serial killers who usually target unknown victims, females tend to kill men who are emotionally and physically closest to them—particularly husbands or lovers—and they generally kill to improve their lifestyle. However, victims of female serial killers are not confined to male husbands or lovers. An important psychological study of 86 female serial killers in the U.S. found that their victims also included children and the elderly (1).