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Why do we call criminals and serial killers "monsters" ?

There is much written about how we label those who perform terrible acts as “monsters”. Some say we do it because we like to separate them from the human race. We dislike the reality that they are like us in many ways just they did awful terrible things. The truth is they are human, they had parents, they were a baby once. We struggle with this idea. What do you think about this and the label “monster”?

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8 Answers to "Why do we call criminals and serial killers "monsters" ?"

  1. certifiable - 31-35 years old - female

    Posted by certifiable Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:16AM

    Because humans scare too easily and quite frankly think they are above them . They call a serial killer a monster yet will not apply the same contempt to people like G W Bush who has orchestrated the death of thousands .Or a murderer is scum yet a soldier who kills innocents is a hero , ridiculous ignorance .

    Like (6)

  2. ChipmunkErnie - 61-65 years old - male

    Posted by ChipmunkErnie Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:03AM

    I think you're right, it's to dehumanize them, to distance ourselves from them and their actions.

    Like (3)

  3. rkitkitavi - 41-45 years old - male

    Posted by rkitkitavi Oct 29th, 2011 at 11:01AM

    We label certain people monsters because we have no other term to describe people who are a hybrid of man, animal, and demon.

    Like (2)

  4. turtlesplash - 36-40 years old - male

    Posted by turtlesplash Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:54AM

    Because we are afraid of recognizing the monster in ourselves. We prefer to pretend "those people" are another species.

    Like (2)

  5. Zenny123 - 46-50 years old - male

    Reply by Zenny123 Oct 29th, 2011 at 10:41AM

    well said

    Like (1)

  6. BarryOne - 51-55 years old - male

    Posted by BarryOne Oct 29th, 2011 at 12:51PM

    My pennies worth! Take responsibility! it is our fault ! Society produces these Monsters(US) because we were born free and we have made sufficient laws so that these particular individuals cannot cope!

    We are no longer free! if you trap a wild animal in a corner it will attack you!
    What are you pretending not to know?

    Like (1)

  7. 5tarlight1988 - 22-25 years old - female

    Posted by 5tarlight1988 Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:56AM

    I Know ppl who have been charged with murder and they are some of the kindest ppl I've ever met I know lots of criminals and most of them do have morals but there are the very select few that are soulless that there crimes are unforgivable its those few that ppl That everyone gets judged by its called steriotyping

    Like (1)

  8. Tsunami3 - 31-35 years old - male

    Posted by Tsunami3 Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:10AM

    People want everything to fit into a nice, neat box. They don't want to think that a normal person might kill someone. So they compartmentalize killers into some category other than themselves. It keeps them from dealing with reality.

    Like (1)

  9. Zenny123 - 46-50 years old - male

    Reply by Zenny123 Oct 29th, 2011 at 10:41AM

    well said

    Like (1)

  10. Pumpkinseeds - 22-25 years old - female

    Posted by Pumpkinseeds Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:04AM

    I think that people label them as monsters because of what they have done. They don't like to look into the psychology of things. They don't stop to think that we are "all" products of our environment. That person wasn't born a monster. Monsters aren't born. They are created! THAT that people find hard to deal with. So they just say, "Yeah they're monster's." The children who killed Jamie Bulgier, were themselves children of child abuse who were not protected by the social services around them.

    Like (1)

  11. Tsunami3 - 31-35 years old - male

    Reply by Tsunami3 Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:07AM

    That's absurd, everyone is born different and some people are born psychopaths or pedophiles. That doesn't make them evil but it certainly makes them dangerous.

    Like (1)

  12. Pumpkinseeds - 22-25 years old - female

    Reply by Pumpkinseeds Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:28AM

    I am sorry for what you went through. I never had anyone save me either but I guess we all deal with things in different ways. My point is, at least 9/10 of these people who are criminals or serial killers. Experienced something like this in their life. There isn't anyone out there who, came from a normal happy background and though, "you know what. I'm going to kill, or torcher this person today." This is my point. It always steams from something.

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