# What's the link between bedwetting and serial killing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 30, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480 "2003-05-30T11:00:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480/1 "2003-05-30T11:00:47Z")

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This question was raised in an IMHO thread but not answered. Apparently the three red flags that indicate a potential serial killer are animal torture, fire starting, and bedwetting. I understand how the first two are indicators, but what’s the deal with the third?

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480/2 "2003-05-30T11:13:04Z")

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I understand in the “McDonald Triad” for profiling, it’s “bedwetting after the age of 10”. Apart from that, maybe they link it in with extreme ADHD – don’t know.

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**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480/3 "2003-05-30T11:19:28Z")

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If I remember correctly, it’s bedwetting past a certain age , and the link is statistical- serial killers are more likely to have exhibited those behaviors than the general population.

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480/4 "2003-05-30T11:35:41Z")

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Okay, but I still don’t get it. Torturing an animal is a voluntary action. So is setting a fire. No one **wants** to wet their bed, do they?

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**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480/5 "2003-05-30T11:48:12Z")

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Could it be the effect of shame and humiliation bedwetting causes?

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**Author:** ![Maneb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Maneb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maneb)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480/6 "2003-05-30T12:09:46Z")

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I remember reading somewhere that bedwetting, fire setting, and animal cruelty are all considered problems with impulse control- not being able to “hold it in” in both a literal and figurative sense…

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**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480/7 "2003-05-30T12:44:59Z")

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I’m also pretty sure that sexual molestation falls into a “childhood trait of a future serial killer.” For instance many of the most famous serial killers were molested as children. Bed wetting could be coincidence or just a symptom.

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-link-between-bedwetting-and-serial-killing/178480/8 "2003-05-31T01:19:58Z")

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Okay, that all makes sense.

Welcome to the boards, **Maneb**!