Do You Have a Real Fear of Serial Killers?

In case you’ve watched The Night Stalker on Netflix recently, you might have had some trouble falling asleep. The documentary details how Richard Ramirez went on a killing spree in the mid-1980s around Los Angeles and the San Francisco area. During that time, residents worried each night about who his next victim might be—particularly as he demonstrated randomness in his selections.

I Can’t Sleep: The Real Fear of Serial Killers

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Many of us are fascinated by serial killers—perhaps because it's rather mind-boggling how one can engage in such violent behaviors. For some, it’s a real source of anxiety. In fact, it’s called foniasophobia when one has a paralyzing fear of being murdered by a serial killer.

This has likely been exacerbated by the media’s portrayal of serial killers. From Mindhunter to the My Favorite Murder podcast, we’re inundated with graphic content that makes it seem like getting picked by a serial killer is as easy as winning the office Bingo party.

In reality, the number of serial killers is quite low. Garry Rodgers, a retired homicide detective and forensic coroner who became a crime writer commented that less than 1 percent of the murders in the U.S. are at the hands of serial killers. That numbers around 300 serial killers currently in existence, making up .00064% of the U.S. population.

Furthermore, notice how some of the more notorious serial killers are from before the boom of technology. With fingerprinting software, cameras, home security systems, and cell phones, serial killers are much more likely to be caught right from the start whereas they could go more unnoticed before.

The Difference Between a Serial Killer and an Average Joe

Research from the University of Chicago looked at the brains of more than 800 incarcerated men and found that gray matter was lacking in the brains of the homicide offenders. In other words, the part of the brain that relates to emotional processing, specifically relating to empathy, and self-control, especially for harmful behaviors (orbitofrontal cortex and anterior temporal lobes to be exact), was diminished compared to the average human brain. Thus, the ability to consider the experience of the victim is likely lacking, as well as the ability to control the urge to harm others.

This is what separates a serial killer from someone else. Your average person can connect to the fear and pain that a victim would experience and refrains from intentionally harming another person. This is because they would not want to cause distress to a fellow human being—both because it would pain them to do it and because they do not want to see the pain in someone else.

Furthermore, even if they felt the urge to harm someone (which does happen at times when a person feels a heightened level of anger), they’re able to control their behavior enough so that they ultimately do not hurt that person. This is because they’re able to consider the consequences, while a serial killer simply may not care about the outcome or can’t resist even knowing the risks.

Should We Have Any Empathy for a Serial Killer?

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That’s debatable. In much of the same way as alcoholism includes the ultimate choice to drink while still being biologically driven, sociopathy also includes the ultimate choice of whether to hurt others or not. And while consequences certainly must be upheld for serial killers, perhaps it’s worth considering the genetic underpinnings and environmental dynamics that tend to make up a serial killer.

Specifically, it’s rare that a serial killer doesn't experience trauma in childhood. Michaud and Aynesworth’s research showed that as children, 42 percent experienced physical abuse, 74 percent endured psychological abuse, and 43 percent were sexually abused. This certainly doesn’t excuse their behavior later in life, but it may help explain the biological and characterological differences present in the mind of a serial killer.

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In some ways, it’s actually quite sad to think that a serial killer is lacking the ability to empathize. It would be like having an amazing steak dinner and not being able to taste it. Empathy is one of the greatest connectors among human beings. As our mirror neurons engage with one another, it’s the basis of feeling love, compassion, and devotion. Imagine how devoid life would likely feel if this wiring in your brain was absent or dysfunctional.

You Can Exhale but Don’t Be Clueless

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While the likelihood of being the victim of a serial killer is incredibly low, it’s still smart to take precautions—not just to prevent a Ted Bundy-like encounter but to keep yourself safe in general. Keep a home security system, have a network of people you regularly communicate with, and lock your doors. It doesn’t need to be rocket science.

And if you’re struggling to sleep and you’re constantly looking over your shoulder—filter the content you’re consuming. Perhaps it’s time to turn off the true crime stories and stop listening to gruesome details of incredibly rare encounters. It can become an obsession—like a car wreck we can’t turn away from. Instead, just keep driving away from the serial killer content and keep your eyes on the road. After all, it’s much more likely that a person gets in a car accident texting and driving than crossing paths with a serial killer.