The Monster Within: How Male Serial Killers Discursively Manage Their Stigmatized Identities

Abstract

Investigations of identity management regarding serial killers are sparse and rarely account for the communal discourse surrounding serial homicide. Such studies are essential to understanding the intersections of stigma and identity, particularly for the exploration of reframing that is severely limited for deviant populations. This interpretive study examined 13 interviews with serial killers to explore stigmatized identity management. The analysis revealed that male serial killers rejected their stigmatized identity by indicating a lack of control over their non-normal behavior or by justifying their actions. They also indicated that societal influences, such as previous traumatic experiences and communal discourse surrounding serial killing, influenced their identity management.

Keywords:

• Communication of Deviance
• Serial Killers
• Stigmatized Identity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jayne R. Henson

Jayne R. Henson (Ph.D., University of Missouri, 2010) is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Missouri.

Loreen N. Olson

Loreen N. Olson (Ph.D., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2000) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Missouri.