Aileen Wuornos the first female serial killer
...attern of behavior where social norms are violated. In order to fit into this diagnosis Wuornos would have to fit into three or more of the criteria, which she does. (1) Often initiates physical fights. (2) Has used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others (bat, brick, broken bottle, knife, gun, etc.). (3) Has stolen while confronting a victim (mugging, purse snatching, extortion, armed robbery, etc.). (4) Often lies to obtain goods or favors or to avoid obligations. (5) Has deliberately destroyed other’s property. (6) Has stolen items of nontrivial value without confronting a victim (shoplifting, but without breaking and entering; forgery). (7) Was often truant from school, beginning before the age of 13. (8) Has runaway from home overnight while living in parental or parental surrogate home. Wuornos' life on the street was based on prostitution and stealing as a means of making money to get by. She was arrested numerous times for prostitution, robbery, theft, forgery, and countless bar fights and other physical assaults. When committing forgery, and being arrested, Lee often used aliases in order to disguise her identity. Aileen Wuornos fits the Borderline personality Disorder criteria. Throughout her life, her interpersonal relationships, self-image, and obvious impulsivity showed a pervasive pattern of instability. (1) Impulsivity in at least two areas that is potentially self-damaging, which in her case was sex and substance abuse. (2) Identity disturbance: markedly and determinedly unstable self-image or sense of self. (3) Persistent suicidal behavior. (4) Pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships. (5) Chronic feelings of emptiness. (6) Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights). (7) Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe disassociative symptoms. Lee was unquestionably reckless with sex, which is evident in her occupation, and constant alcohol drinking. In the movie, Monster, we saw Lee ready to kill herself before she met Selby, which again showed impulsivity in her relationships. This is seemingly clear because before meeting Selby, Lee was never interested in a lesbian relationship. This showed just how empty and desperate for love Lee was. Even before meeting Selby, Lee had numerous relationships, which all involved Lee being physically abused. Furthermore, as mentioned before, Lee was involved in countless bar fights, which shows her constant displays of anger. Wuornos' Post Traumatic Stress Disorder began when, according to Lee, her murder frenzy began after a customer, who picked her up for sex, decided to turn the tables and terrorize her. Lee was tied, gagged, beaten, horrifically sexually assaulted, and tortured. Wuornos somehow got herself free from the ropes, grabbed a gun and shot her perpetrator several times. Afterwards, she continued to kill selectmen, robbed them, and usually stole their cars. After her rape and attack, Wuornos definitely suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to the DSM, she was exposed to a traumati...