How to Identify People Who May Resemble the “Karelian Maniac”

When trying to identify individuals who may be prone to serial crimes, it’s essential to consider a combination of factors. The most important observations come from those closest to the person: parents and school staff for teenagers; friends, coworkers, and spouses for adults. It’s important to note that this article discusses people without mental disorders that would render them legally insane. Again, only a combination of signs can serve as an indicator, not any single trait. Let’s look at the most common signs.

Behavior

Such individuals often display mood swings, with varying intensity depending on their personality and age. For example, someone may be sociable and try to fit in, then suddenly become withdrawn and uncommunicative. Their mood is cyclical and depends on whether they are controlling themselves or letting go. They may slip into apathy or engage in destructive, poorly motivated actions aimed at destruction (minor offenses, a desire to feel superior to someone weaker, etc.).

Those around them may notice periodic aggression (sometimes not openly displayed). It’s especially important to pay attention when there are no obvious external reasons for such behavior. This is often because these individuals bottle up negative emotions (unfulfillment, resentment, aggression, a sense of injustice, or feeling “different from everyone else”). They rarely share their inner experiences, thoughts, or feelings because they don’t trust anyone and believe others won’t understand or aren’t worthy of their trust.

Sometimes, such a person may start seeing therapists or psychologists and, after reading specialized literature, claim they feel better. However, for them, this is a kind of game—“they still haven’t figured me out.” A professional should be able to recognize this state in time.

People often notice a certain tension and hidden aggression in the facial expressions and behavior of such individuals, but due to their lack of openness, it’s hard to understand the reasons. The longer they suppress their feelings, the more likely they are to reach a breaking point and commit an “act.”

This act isn’t always murder or suicide, but it’s always a powerful, uncontrollable force directed at self-destruction or destruction of something in the outside world: breaking something, starting a fight, abruptly changing plans, turning away from their team or those around them. The more abrupt the behavioral changes in these emotionally closed-off people, the more closely friends and family should watch them.

Communication

These individuals usually don’t form close relationships. They often don’t know how to be true friends, can’t offer help in time, and tend to manipulate others in small ways. Another trait is their ability to spot people’s weaknesses and gradually use them for pressure and manipulation. They know how to play the victim.

Their social media accounts are often sparsely filled or anonymous, usually designed in dark colors. Destructive content or interest groups are common. Their profiles may feature mythical characters like devils, demons, or dark angels. Their walls may have aggressive or latent-aggressive statements aimed at certain groups. If there’s music, it’s usually depressive, mystical, or surreal.

Generally, these people are interested in mysticism, dark historical figures, and occult theories. For young people, these symbolic systems are often associated with anger. They may also be interested in virtual reality and computer games (such as first-person shooters like DOOM or Counter-Strike).

Their lack of empathy can be detected through psycholinguistics, behavioral triggers during communication, and even handwriting.

It’s hard to reach them, especially when they cross a certain line and start fantasizing about being wronged or believing no one is worthy of understanding them. At this point, they may “snap,” becoming less controllable, more withdrawn, and less sensitive to others.

During such times, their social media pages may show signs of worsening condition: relevant posts on their wall, sharing certain articles, music with tragic, depressive, or aggressive content, and fewer photos being posted.

What Pushes Them Over the Edge?

People often ask where the line is that separates such a person from the moment they cross their internal boundaries and commit a crime.

Many factors affect the strength of these internal boundaries:

• Innate personality traits—intelligence, willpower, empathy, and motivation.
• Upbringing—what parents instill in their children. While every parent wants to protect their child from negative influences, some go too far, using authoritarian methods without explanation or praise, not accepting the child’s essence or sense of self-worth. Raising a child as the “center of the universe” can also foster narcissism and a lack of empathy.
• Self-development—how a person raises themselves. This depends on whether we’re talking about a 12-14-year-old or a fully formed adult.

There are many factors that can either restrain a person or trigger deviant behavior. The root of it all lies in emotional wounds and psychological complexes that unconsciously become part of a person’s personality, either during upbringing or later self-reinvention.

Again, we’re talking about mentally healthy individuals. If someone is mentally unstable or has a psychiatric disorder, a different set of root causes applies.

What Should a Potential Victim Do?

The second most common question is what a potential victim should do if they notice warning signs, whether in the moment or over the long term.

Every crime against a person is unique, so there’s no universal solution. The best way to minimize harm is to escape. However, do this gradually: try to reduce physical contact in the most pleasant way possible. Imagine slowly backing away from a predator, moving as little as possible. If you’re indoors, find a reason to leave immediately.

If it’s someone you know, in a critical situation, it’s important to talk more, ask questions, listen carefully, look for shared values, and show complete understanding and acceptance of them as a person.

If it’s a stranger (for example, you meet them in the woods), and you can’t escape right away, the best approach is to “humanize” yourself. To commit a serious crime, such people often dehumanize their victim, treating them as an object and assigning them negative traits. Your goal is to show you’re a real person, not an object. During conversation, try to assess if the person is rational: are their actions organized, are their reactions normal, is the dialogue coherent, or do they have a wild look and erratic behavior?

The worst thing you can do is be sarcastic, mock, argue, or insult their dignity. Such actions can be a trigger, causing them to “snap.” In this state, they may do things even they didn’t expect of themselves (especially if they have low emotional intelligence and can’t empathize deeply).

A sudden feeling of offense or wounded pride will undoubtedly reduce their ability to think logically and process information. At that point, no controlling or disciplining factors will restrain them, and everything will depend on their core values and principles.

We believe that being in such a situation is like encountering a wild animal, such as an enraged bear. What would you do if you met one? Naturally, you’d run. You wouldn’t yell or throw things at it. So, if you see wild eyes and clenched fists, remember that the best option is to retreat, and if you can’t, very carefully appeal to their emotions and logic.

And at the first opportunity—run!