Aspects of the Serial Killer in Reality, Media and History

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The term 'serial killer' was not even coined until the 1970s. And it is a term now used for a person convicted of three or more murders(in some situations it was two instead of three). It is estimated by the F.B.I that there are between twenty-five and fifty serial killers operating in the U.S. at any given time. That could mean that there is an average of 3.4 murders per year that serial killers are responsible for. The FBI also says that of all the murders in the U.S. annually only about 1 percent are committed by actual serial killers. Not all serial killers are dysfunctional loners. Many have full-time jobs, families, and have been very active in their communities. Serial killers seem to have been most prolific between the 60s and the 80s. This seems to have taken a surge upward due to the interstate system and its rise during this time. The term 'serial killer' was not seen in media prior to this time and there had to be such terms as "convicted of killing three or more"searched out. We are thankfully seeing a decline now in the number of serial killers. This is in the large count of the change in the laws. They are staying in prison longer and their parole is more strict. This is also some interesting reading: