The nature of the beast

The author argues that criminal profiling is often based on guesswork and that no single personality type defines all serial killers. The text distinguishes between psychotic killers, who lack a grasp of reality, and psychopathic killers, who lack a conscience but remain aware of right and wrong. It outlines six motivational typologies—visionary, mission-oriented, hedonistic, power/control, recognition seeker, and material gain-seeker—while questioning whether the definition of serial murder should extend to corporate negligence, state-sponsored killings, or mass casualties caused by reckless driving.

• Criminal profiling is described as a form of 'retro-classification' that often relies on hunches and anecdotal experience rather than validated science. It is intended to narrow the field of potential suspects rather than identify a specific individual, as human nature is too unique for generalisation.
• Serial killers are generally categorized into two pathological types: a small minority are psychotic, meaning they fail to perceive reality correctly and kill as a symptom of madness, while the majority are psychopaths (or sociopaths) who possess a firm grasp of reality but lack a conscience and feel no remorse.
• Criminologists have identified six primary motivational types for serial killers: the visionary type (acting on divine directives), the mission-oriented type (targeting specific groups), the hedonistic type (seeking pleasure/thrills), the power/control type (seeking ultimate control over victims), the recognition seeker (seeking media attention), and the material gain-seeker (killing for money).
• The author challenges the traditional boundaries of the 'serial killer' definition by questioning if it should include individuals who cause multiple deaths through greed (such as Chinese manufacturers adding melamine to baby food), political violence (such as Eugene de Kock during apartheid), or extreme negligence (such as reckless taxi and bus drivers).

APA

Labuschagne, I. (2009). The nature of the beast. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/01-mar-2009-sacq-27/01-mar-2009-the-nature-of-the-beast-a-critical-discussion-of-profiling-irma-labuschagne

Chicago

Labuschagne, Irma. The nature of the beast. Institute for Security Studies, 2009. https://issafrica.org/01-mar-2009-sacq-27/01-mar-2009-the-nature-of-the-beast-a-critical-discussion-of-profiling-irma-labuschagne.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Labuschagne |first1=Irma |title=The nature of the beast |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2009 |url=https://issafrica.org/01-mar-2009-sacq-27/01-mar-2009-the-nature-of-the-beast-a-critical-discussion-of-profiling-irma-labuschagne |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{labuschagne2009nature, author = {Labuschagne, Irma}, title = {{The nature of the beast}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.org/01-mar-2009-sacq-27/01-mar-2009-the-nature-of-the-beast-a-critical-discussion-of-profiling-irma-labuschagne}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }