How to Spot a Serial Killer

The term serial killer came into prominence in the late 1970s after heinous crimes like those committed by John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy. Since then, gruesome tales of serial killers now occupy news websites and broadcasts with alarming frequency. There's no real, indisputable litmus test to tell if someone has the potential to be a serial killer, but spot the following traits and keep them in mind next time you see a creepy character in your neighborhood.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Realize that serial killers tend to be white males with higher than normal IQs. Most of them do poorly in school despite having IQs that usually average between 105 and 120, and some drop out of high school or college. Serial killers also hop from one low wage job to another, or tend to be habitually unemployed.
2. Be wary of "stalkers" or easily obsessed males. Since serial killers usually have trouble attracting women, starting relationships or maintaining the relationship they have, they can easily become too attentive to a female they like to the point of harassment or stalking. They can easily turn violent if a female rebukes their advances.
3. Spot a serial killer by their family background. They have alcoholic, weak-willed, or missing fathers and domineering mothers. Parents or other family members often have criminal backgrounds or mental problems.
4. Consider the fact that many serial killers have been abused as children. The abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, verbal or a combination of all of these. They may have a history of being bullied or teased by other children in grade school or junior high. Some serial killers torture animals, and this trait often begins in childhood.
5. Note that serial killers have an interest in sado-masochistic and fetish pornography. Most serial killers gravitate to extreme forms of torture pornography from a young age, and may have extensive collections of it in their home or workplace.
6. Remember that serial killers look normal, or even geeky. They don't look or act like monsters in every day life. They might actually be polite and soft-spoken. It's their personalities and habits that give them away, not their looks.