https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i3.016
A Study of the History of Maternal Deprivation and the Serial Killer Archetype
MARYAM SALIM
Research Scholar
TKM College of Arts and Science, Kollam
Affiliated to the University of Kerala
DR. J. S. JAHANGIR
Associate Professor & HOD, Research Guide
Department of English
Iqbal College, Affiliated to the University of Kerala
Abstract: This study investigates the psychological foundations of serial killers, with particular emphasis on the formative influence of maternal deprivation. It examines how early disruptions in maternal bonding and failures in establishing meaningful relationships contribute to emotional instability and impaired attachment, which may later manifest as delinquent behaviour. The analysis is grounded in object-relations theory and supported by key psychoanalytic concepts, offering a framework for understanding how fractured relationships shape the internal world of serial killers. By synthesizing existing scholarship from psychology and criminology, the study argues that maternal deprivation functions as a significant developmental risk factor in the emergence of serial killers. The findings highlight the need for deeper interdisciplinary inquiry into early relational trauma and its long-term impact on extreme forms of criminality.
Keywords: Childhood Trauma, Delinquency, Maternal Domination, Maternal Rejection, Object Relations, Serial Killers
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