On the genesis of the concept "serial criminal"

The article presents the discussion in research literature about the concept of a serial criminal. Extensive research of serial criminals has shown that this phenomenon is qualitatively characteristic for all cultures. An insight into the history of the phenomenon of serial killers was made. The multidimensionality of the studied objects is disclosed. The result of the study was the understanding of the need for a new view on the determination of the unique complex of psychotypological characteristics that form a unique group of deviants - serial criminals. Separately, the authors considered the reason why the domestic science that investigates crime is not inclined to use the concept "serial criminal". The problem of inadmissible overlapping of the terms "multiplicity" and "seriality" as applied to the nature of serial crimes is also considered. Indeed, it is because of the uniqueness of the object under study that there is a need for differentiation of the terms. The article notes that despite the wide use of the term "serial killer" in the law enforcement practice and in theoretical works on criminalistics, criminology, legal psychology and forensic psychiatry, the criminal law legislation and criminal procedural legislation does not contain such a term. However, the absence of the definition in the rule of law is not the reason for an expansive interpretation of the term, since the logic of a research limits to some extent the extensive use of concepts in research. The method of biographical analysis was used together with private scientific methods, as well as the method of expert review. In special literature, the definition of the concept "serial criminal" includes a large number of attributes; the traditional are: (1) a certain number of episodes of criminal activity (two or more); (2) the depiction of a particular psycho-traumatic image in the victim's image; (3) the period of emotional rest (up to 30 days) between crimes of the series. It should be noted that only a few varieties of serial criminals fully comply with these requirements. Thus, for example, disorganized serial killers, who make up at least a third of serial killers, do not have such a parameter in their personality structure as "the depiction of a particular psycho-traumatic image in the victim's image". The authors state one can observe the unsatisfactory state of research of serial criminals already at the level of the main conceptual space, which should be corrected in the near future.

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