Signs That You're a Serial Killer in the Making

Did you know that serial killers are the most heavily-studied people in prison? Though serial killers only make a very small percentage of any prison population, scientists and psychologists almost always want to study them.

The reason why they are so heavily studied is because they are fascinating—and because many police groups want to be able to prevent serial killers from being made in the future.

For normal people, it's hard to figure out what would drive anyone to kill. It's also really hard to figure out what would cause someone to want to become a serial killer in the first place.

As a result, study after study has come out to determine signs that someone is a serial killer in the making. Are you a potential serial killer? The following factors suggest you might be...

You've got an average IQ.

One of the things that TV often exaggerates is the intelligence of serial killers. Believe it or not, the average IQ of a serial killer is 94—which is a perfectly normal score. This was uncovered by Dr. Michael Aamodt of The Serial Killer Information Center.

However, this study came with a caveat, and it came to the killing methods these guys used. The study revealed that the serial killers who had average IQs were more likely to strangle their victims to death. Killers who used bombs to off their victims were more likely to have much higher IQs.

You're a white male.

Statistically speaking, this suggests you are more likely to be a potential serial killer than others. 93 percent of all serial killers are male, and around 63 percent of all serial killers are white.

What's interesting about this is that Dr. Aamodt's study showed that this is a fairly new phenomenon. During the earlier half of last century, as much as 37 percent of all serial killers were female!

Moreover, most serial killers also live in America. So, if you're American, statistically, you're at a greater risk of being a killer.

You have alcohol or susbtance abuse issues.

Studies have shown that serial killers often struggle with substance abuse, or were exposed to hard substance abusers when they were young. A study showed that around 70 percent of serial killers were exposed to substance abuse as children, making this a very good indicator of a future serial murderer.

Serial killers who had a hard time with substance abuse in their childhoods include the infamous Charles Manson. Jeffrey Dahmer, on the other hand, was a serial killer who regularly struggled with his addiction to alcohol as an adult.

You regularly wet the bed, started fires, and tortured small animals as a kid.

This warning sign of a serial killer is so well-established, it even has its own name! These trio of symptoms are known as The Macdonald triad, and the more of the three symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you will become a serial killer later in life.

99 percent of all serial killers tortured and killed small animals before they moved onto people. 57 percent of all killers also wet the bed long into their teenage years or commit acts of arson.

You have strange sexual habits.

A large percentage of serial killers tend to kill for lust or thrills, and many of them also rape their victims. Unsurprisingly, most serial killers also start displaying strange habits involving sex.

The most common of them? Compulsive masturbation, or a deep preference towards solo sessions.

The runner up to this would be voyeurism. Many serial killers, prior to getting caught for killing, have been caught as "peeping toms" in their neighborhoods.

Another major giveaway shouldn't be surprising at all: serial killers are more likely to enjoy very violent sex than others, with extreme sadism being a very common fetish among them.

You like to manipulate people, and tend to make a point of wrapping people around your finger.

Do you enjoy being manipulative and starting drama, just to see others dance? This is actually a very common trait among serial killers, and often is the reason why they are able to get away with their murders for so long.

Since many serial killers are adept at making themselves look innocent, police often overlook them during investigations. John Wayne Gacy, for example, was a highly respected member of his community — and even had taken photos with the president at one point.

How did he get away with his killings? He was manipulative and knew how to talk around others.

You had a serious head injury.

Studies have shown that having a serious head injury can affect the way you feel, interact, and even control yourself. Around 70 percent of all serial killers that were studied admitted that they had a severe head injury that may have resulted in brain damage.

You had a really dysfunctional childhood.

Almost every single serial killer that researchers interviewed had an extremely disturbing childhood. The Crime Museum has displayed a number of studies that showed how most serial killers faced horrific levels of abuse and neglect.

The belief is that abuse they faced in childhood instilled in them feelings of humiliation, neglect, and powerlessness. This in turn tends to cause anger issues and a desperate need for control...which in turn motivates them to start serial killing.

People have told you that you live in a fantasy world.

A number of studies performed by the FBI also have shown that serial killers tend to have very vivid, deep fantasies. The fantasies tend to get more and more obsessive until finally, they snap.

Edmund Kemper, also known as "the Co-Ed Killer," was one of the killers who ended up having fantasies that eventually took control of him. Meanwhile, David Berkowitz was well-known for thinking that a neighborhood pet was talking to him.

This suggests that they may be partly influenced by the fantasies, which for them, may have become too real.