Although child abuse does not always result in a serial killer, the consequences of neglect and abuse are unpredictable and can have many alternative paths. The researchers were trying to answer the question of whether there was a common factor shared by many or all serial killers that could be attributed to their psychological problems. From the research gathered, it would appear that child abuse is a common factor, however it is not guaranteed that all serial killers experience child abuse and that not all children who are abused become serial killers. One of the problems posed by this research is that much of the information obtained came from an unrelated third party, so the veracity of the information needs to be carefully examined. Additionally, some criminals may lie about their past. Some may say they were abused to have an explanation for their heinous crimes, or some may downplay their past because they do not wish to reveal vulnerable aspects of their lives. Overall, child abuse among lust serial killers could be considered a factor in their murderous actions. We caution, however, not to generalize these findings to all serial killers, as the information collected was determined by a group of serial killers.