Deconstructing the Phenomenon of Serial Murder and the Cultural Development of Evil

According to Chapter One of the book, the FBI, in 1984 appeared before the U.S. Senate and claimed that as many as 5,000 people per year were believed to be killed by serial murderers. Why do you suppose the public and public officials believed this grossly exaggerated figure, even though there was no meaningful data to support this assertion? Elaborate. Next, consider the various serial murder myths that were presented in the presentation, “Debunking Serial Murder Myths,” as well in the first chapter of Hickey’s (2016) book. Which of these myths do you believe that the general public would be the most surprised to learn is not true? Elaborate and discuss why you feel this way. Next, after reflecting upon Chapter Two, why do you suppose the the notion of evil is so difficult to define? How do you define it? Does your definition improve upon any of the definitions presented by the scholars in Chapter Two? How so? Also, some scholars have suggested that society often affords celebrity status to serial murderers. Assuming this in true, identify some ways in which this could possibly be changed. Next, in your opinion, do horror films glorify and encourage violence; or rather, do they serve a purpose by reminding us that evil, dangerous beings may reside in our communities? Take a position either way and defend it. Finally, once you have answered all of the above questions, please pose an original thinking question to the class.