Diagnostic Battery for Aileen Wuornos (Term Paper Sample)

Diagnostic Battery for Aileen Wuornos
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Abstract
Aileen Wuornos is an American serial killer who was convicted of six murders and sentenced to death. She had a troublesome childhood, having been borne to a single mother, who later abandoned her in the hands of her (Wuornos’) aging parents. She had a "rich" criminal record, having committed a variety of crimes. The character’s presenting information and symptoms include total disregard for repercussions of her actions; inability to sustain stable interpersonal relations; lack of learning from past experiences, no matter how bad; comorbid alcohol, drug and substance abuse, anxiety and depression; an array of psychosocial and interpersonal troubles and disturbances; being egocentric; and lack of regard or care for other people’s feeling, rights and wellbeing. These are essentially diagnostic symptoms for antisocial personality disorder. The person can be treated through a mixture of psychotherapy, medical prescriptions (antidepressants and antipsychotics), as well as integrated mental, social care and primary care services, with appropriate continuous assessments and follow-up to enhance recovery.
Diagnostic Battery for Aileen Wuornos
Introduction
Psychological diagnosis is an important process in the criminal justice, as it provides important information about a suspect, witness or convict, which goes a long way in making decisions on the best way to handle them. Such information is also important as forensic evidence as far as psychology is concerned. Many forensic psychology issues are relevant as far as Aileen Wuornos, the infamous American serial killer is concerned. The killer, who has since been convicted of six murders and executed for that, experienced a myriad of psychosocial issues, including a grossly disturbed and unstable childhood, lack of parental support and child molestation among others. This paper details a diagnostic battery of Aileen Wuornos, including the person’s background, presenting information, the legal issue of involved, data collection methods, diagnosis, related psychosocial, family, career, and vocational issues, as well as the proposed treatment, continuing assessments and follow-up.
Introduction of the Person
This introductory part assumes that the Wuornos is still alive and has been presented for diagnosis. Wuornos is a middle aged woman who has been a prostitute for most of her life. She has a serious criminal record in Florida, having been involved in and convicted of a variety of crimes. She is now charged of murder and has pleaded guilty. As part of the legal proceedings of her cases, it is essential that forensic psychological evidence be presented in order to ascertain her mental and psychological health and fitness to stand trial. The forensic psychology information would also be useful to the criminal justice department in deciding how to process her through the system, including in the event that she is found guilty and sentenced. Accordingly, she needs to be diagnosed and a report given about her psychological health.
Background of the Patient and Presenting Information
Wuornos was born Aileen Carol Pittman in 1956 to a single mother who had been divorced only two months before Wuornos’ birthday. Wuornos never got a chance to meet her father as he was incarcerated at the time of her birth, having been found guilty of sex offenses against children (Crime Investigations, 2015). Wuornos’ mother abandoned her (together with her brother) when she (Wuornos) was barely four, leaving them in the hands of their aging grandparents. By the time she was 11, Wuornos was already engaging in commercial sex, having sex with people in return of drugs, food and cigarettes. As a child, Wuornos was physically and sexually molested by her grandfather, not to mention that she was raped and impregnated by her grandfather’s friend (Crime Investigations, 2015). She dropped out of school after giving birth at a home for unwed mothers, and around the same time, her grandmother succumbed to liver failure, leaving poor Wuornos under the care of her assaultive grandfather. By the time she was 15 years of age, her grandfather chased her away from home, forcing her to survive by engaging in prostitution and live as a destitute.
Between 1974 and 1987, Wuornos was arrested and charged several times for a variety of petty and serious crimes, including driving under the influence, disorderly conduct, possession of and firing of guns wit bad motives, assault, disturbing peace, armed robbery of a convenience store, forgery, car and ammunition theft, obstruction of justice and arrest. Between 1989 and 1990, she killed seven men who she claimed had tried to rape and defraud her as a prostitute (Crime Investigations, 2015). She was arrested, prosecuted, found guilty of six murders and sentenced to death. She was later executed through lethal injection. The Monster, a 2003 movie is based on her life story.
Although Wuornos was involved in a wide range of crimes, the murder of seven men was the most serious legal issue she encountered. During her trials, the defense side presented forensic evidence that she was mentally unstable, having been diagnosed of two personality and psychological disorders; antisocial personality and borderline personality disorders. She pleaded guilty of all murders (although at different times), arguing that the men had tried to rape her, and that she only killed them for self-defense. Nonetheless, she got the death sentences which were implemented on October 9, 2002.
A careful analysis of Wuornos reveals the following presenting information about her condition: total disregard for repercussion of her actions; inability to sustain stable interpersonal relations; lack of learning from past experiences, no matter how bad; comorbid alcohol, drug and substance abuse, anxiety and depression; an array of psychosocial and interpersonal troubles and disturbances; being egocentric; and lack of regard or care for other people’s feeling, rights and wellbeing (Crime Investigations, 2015). All of these are in a way related to her disturbed childhood and parenting.
Data Collection Methods
In performing the diagnosis, data were collected through observations. To this end, video clips of Wuornos in court were reviewed. The forensic psychologist also observed her behavior and gestures as she talked and interacted with other people, with the aim of identifying and recording any abnormalities. Interviews with close family, relatives, friends and certain members of the public. This was particularly important in obtaining information about Wuornos childhood history, interpersonal relationship, social dynamics, work and community involvements, family roles and responsibilities, as well as any criminal tendencies that people close to her would know. Wuornos herself was also interviewed. Testing was also done using DSM-IV-TR criteria, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR for Axis II Disorders (SCID-II), the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ), and the Eysenck Personality Inventory. These tests were instrumental in obtaining important information about the person’s psychosocial behavior dynamics, including any past criminal tendencies, social and personal organization, as well as mental and psychological health of the person (Knott, 2012; Loranger, Janca and Sartorious, 1997).
Diagnosis
The data collected using the methods highlighted in the foregoing section revealed that Wuornos exhibited a variety of psychological inconsistencies, and most of the symptoms were related to personality or psychological disorders. The symptoms are listed in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Wuornos’ symptoms and supporting examples from data collected
Symptom

Case-specific Examples

1 Physical aggression

She threw cue balls at a bar; assaulted husband and other companions

2 Lack of remorse

She killed many men and was remorseless; insisted it was a case of self-defense. Confessed later.

3 Repeated problems with the law/recurrent criminal convictions

She was convicted several times for a variety of crimes, ranging from petty (drunk driving) to heinous (murder)

4 Careless disregard for safety of self or others

Shooting at people; wrecking her own car; drinking recklessly, engaging in confrontations at their local bar; drugs

5 Absolute irresponsibility in family and work environment

Assaulting revelers at their local bar; assaulted her own husband; no care for her abandoned child; squandered life insurance.

6 Personal and interpersonal disturbances

Divorce, unstable relationships with close people, including sexual partners

7 Deceitfulness

Wuornos once gave false ID belonging to her aunt when arrested

In addition to the symptoms listed above, the childhood and early adulthood of the character was characterized by prevalent violation of other people’s rights and the societal rules, besides exhibiting pervasive disregard for her own safety and wellbeing. In addition, Wuornos showed a history of conduct disorder going as far back in her childhood as when she was barely 11. At this time, she was already engaging in commercial sex and drugs. Accordingly, it is concluded that the characters suffers from antisocial personality disorder (Knott, 2012; Ministry of Justice, 2011).
Related Psychosocial and Family Issues
Growing up, Wuornos encountered harsh conditions. To start with, she was born to a single, underage mother. Her mother was divorced months before she was borne. She grew up with her grandparents, her mother having abandoned her (Wuornos’) brother and her in the hand of their grandparents. She never experienced ...