Assignment:
In the U.S., there have been numerous programs created by the government and members of victims' families to combat serial murder. For example, after Ted Bundy's multi-state killing spree, the Federal Bureau of Investigation established the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) to help create a profile of a serial murderer. Victim's information is fed into a computerized program in the hopes of finding matches with other victims and a similar modus operandi. The Polly Klaus Foundation and the Amber Alert system are just a few of the programs created to help in the detection of serial killers.
Do you think these programs can help the surviving family members of a victim? Why or why not?
Suppose a person is missing for a while and his/her body is found and identified (by dental records) six months after a serial killer trial in the area. Members of the deceased person's family find that the body recovered is in a similar state as those of the victims of the serial killer. What should the surviving family members of a victim do? Should they just consider it a coincidence or inform the authorities of these similarities?
Some victims turn their pain inward, while some turn it outward. Explain what might happen to a person and what the outcome might be when using these two coping methods.