Sociocultural Perspective to Understand the Case of David Berkowitz

Sociocultural Perspective

By Kajori Ganguly 1930238

A common characteristic identified in most serial killers is the loss of mental and physical self-control. David Berkowitz, when he said that he was under the possession of a demonic dog with a thirst for blood, exhibited psychotic symptoms which show mental instability. In addition to that, the murder to his victims with a .44 caliber gun clearly depicts loss of control on physical actions. This loss of control stems from inadequate and ineffective parenting or the correct environment during childhood. 

David was an orphan and even though he was adopted by a loving family, after his mother’s death due to cancer and his father remarrying a woman he did not like, he fell into habits of petty theft and arson. He was an above average intellectual student but when he dropped out of school and joined the Army, his father was disappointed that he never lived up to his potential. When Berkowitz converted from Judaism to Christianty in the army as a last attempt to get the attention of his father, he ended up damaging their relationship for life. He lived alone and his apartment was always dirty, with walls covered in graffiti showing that his environment was not suitable for guests or friends exhibiting his lack of social interaction. 

Some explanations for his murderous behaviour are that he was always anti-social and unsuccessful at relationships with anyone especially the opposite sex. David had never had any sexual relationships before he joined the Army and even in his three years of service, it was later revealed that he had only one sexual experience with a prostitute. Before his serial killings, David was guilty of many assaults and knife stabbings mainly on female targets. Even his victims of murder were majorly female. This shows that he had a streak of revenge in him. He wanted to get the attention from society and women that he never got and be in control of certain situations. Unfortunately, murder was his way of being in control and having power over his victims. Media also playing a very big part in all this, gave a lot of coverage and focus on David or the nickname “Son of Sam”. This in a way satisfied David’s need for attention and spotlight and also encouraged him to keep killing because the world was finally noticing him.

All these factors result in an opinion that David went through a rough childhood, and events in his surrounding environment and social life played a very important role in why and how he came to behave as an adult.


References : 

https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/undergrad/ptacc/csi-student-paper.pd

https://www.suecoletta.com/nature-vs-nurture-drives-people-kill/

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