Issues
To understand Andrei Chikatilo is a very complicated subject. We first must understand his reasoning and his history, his past, what he has been through. By looking at his past, he did not have an easy life. He was traumatized both physically and mentally by his mother and the aftermath of the World War II, which had a negate impact on him in his later years.
Looking back at his early years, many events have taken place that might have influenced or promoted his actions that he has committed. For example, when he was five years old, his mother would tell him what had happened to his older brother, that he was cannibalized by their neighbours due to the famine that was caused by Stalin’s regime. This can be linked to his tendency of his ritual to cutting pieces and his victims and consuming them. The story of cannibalism that his mother told him as a boy left an impact on his mental consciousness and that it sparked a curiosity and conjecture in him that eventually is shown throughout in his murders.
One of the major associations that Chikatilo might have made as a boy is his connection between physical violence and overpowering someone that results in him having sexual pleasure/arousal. This association would most likely have been made during his first sexual experience. When he was in his teen years, he had realized that overpowering made him sexually aroused. He had wrestled and overpowered a younger girl and when she was struggling he had become aroused and ejaculated. Forever after this incident he would try to relive this moment that had caused him sexual pleasure. This association can explain the majority of his murders and the motive behind them. The feeling of the victim struggling and suffereing cause him to crave more and caused him to lust more victims in his trap resulting in more pleasurable experiences. He is also considered to have a borderline mental illness.
Looking back at his early years, many events have taken place that might have influenced or promoted his actions that he has committed. For example, when he was five years old, his mother would tell him what had happened to his older brother, that he was cannibalized by their neighbours due to the famine that was caused by Stalin’s regime. This can be linked to his tendency of his ritual to cutting pieces and his victims and consuming them. The story of cannibalism that his mother told him as a boy left an impact on his mental consciousness and that it sparked a curiosity and conjecture in him that eventually is shown throughout in his murders.
One of the major associations that Chikatilo might have made as a boy is his connection between physical violence and overpowering someone that results in him having sexual pleasure/arousal. This association would most likely have been made during his first sexual experience. When he was in his teen years, he had realized that overpowering made him sexually aroused. He had wrestled and overpowered a younger girl and when she was struggling he had become aroused and ejaculated. Forever after this incident he would try to relive this moment that had caused him sexual pleasure. This association can explain the majority of his murders and the motive behind them. The feeling of the victim struggling and suffereing cause him to crave more and caused him to lust more victims in his trap resulting in more pleasurable experiences. He is also considered to have a borderline mental illness.
Nature vs. Nurture
In my opinion, the theory of nature would dominate because of the way that he grew up. When he was born he was diagnosed with a disease in his brain. He was born with water in his brain. When he was a teenage he came to realize that that was not the only disease that he was suffereing from. He also suffered from erectile dysfunction, which caused him not to get an erection and that left a impact on his mental wellbeing. He became frustrated when he realized he was erectile dysfunctional. Most of his murders can be concluded that he seeked sexual arousal/pleasure, in which he only got from overpowering his victim and beating them. He was beat by his mother at a very young age, but that could not provoke him enough to commit these crimes. He was also told by his mother how his brother had died, which could also have had a negative impact on his mind.
Criminology Theory
Classical theory is one of the four theories that would best apply to my high profile serial killer, Andre Chikatilo. The reason being is that he had commit all the crimes due to his own will, knowing what he was doing was wrong but continued to commit the same crime. He had committed these crimes without any regret or worry. He knew what he was doing, which is why came through his decisions freely and did what he wanted to do which was complete his ritual, arouse someone, take the person to a place that is well hidden, and kill them.