On the outside, Jeffrey Dahmer was a quiet but ordinary man. He would hardly talk to anyone and was known to spend his time in the forest, his objective unknown. However, there was a side to Jeffrey that no one knew about; not even his parents knew until it was too late. Jeffrey was a psychopathic serial killer, a person who intentionally physically harms others for pleasure or out of impulse. He would lure unsuspecting people to his house, sedate them, drill into their skulls, and inject hydrochloric acid into the cavity, rendering them completely incapacitated, after which he would strangle the person and dismember the corpse. One has to wonder: what would drive a person – if that is even the appropriate word – to commit such heinous acts? According to the psychiatric studies conducted on him after his arrest, Dahmer suffered from borderline personality disorder (BPD), which made controlling impulses extremely difficult; in his case, it was most likely caused by being neglected during childhood. This introduces the question of the type – genetic (like hair or eye color) or acquired (such as the ability to read or write) – of trait this is. The answer is still being debated over, even today. Generally, scientists have concluded that there is no sole responsible factor for deciding if psychopathy is inherited or learned, but rather, a combination of the two. First, it is imperative that a distinction be made between genetic traits which are inherent universal human traits, and traits which are learned through experience or trial-and-error. Incompetent researchers are misleading the public into believing that more traits are inherited that what was originally speculated. It has been proved to be impossible for some genes to dete... ... middle of paper ... ...d his time in the forests around his house and collect dead animals, and dismember them in his home. He was very antisocial and apathetic in school, which led him to be isolated from his peers, though he did manage to make a few friends. He was looked down upon as an outcast because of his disturbing fascination with dead animals and drinking heavily. In a study conducted by a sociologist, people who were animal abusers were five times more likely to commit acts of violence, such as assault, rape or murder. The reason for this is because people who are aggressive feel like they are not in control of their lives, so they feel the need to be dominate over something else; killing small animals is the first sign that they might become aggressive later in life – it is possible that they start with the small animals and work their way up and begin to hurt humans as well.
As children, our parents tell us that monsters do not exist. The truth is that they do exist and they live among us, masquerading as one of us. Two examples of these monsters are serial killers Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. A serial killer is classified as a person who kills three or more people, in separate events, over a time frame of a month, with “cooling off” periods in between. While Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer both share a sick twisted mind and a penchant for killing, differences in their upbringing, personality, and preferences drastically set them apart.
Serial killer is a person who kills three or more people with a cooling off period between murders and these murders may go on for a period of months or years. The murders that this person commits may have similar fashion or the victims may have something in common, for example, occupation, race, appearance, sex, or age group. Psychology is the science and study of human behavior and mental processes. Moreover, it is the study of human minds and its function.
From 1987 to 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer reign terror over the gay community. He was a social incompetent, homosexual man. His spent his entire life feeling as an outcast in this giant world and struggled to find his voice and his sense of self. He resorted to dead rodents and mannequins to bring him entertainment and companionship. Eventually, Dahmer thirst for more and when his abuse of alcohol could no longer medicate him he allowed his gruesome fantasies and needs to take control.
Social researchers, psychological researchers and criminological researchers alike have all applied the MacDonald triad theory to explain violent crime against humans. The triad theory simply uses three main variables, enuresis, pyromania, and animal cruelty during childhood to explain aggression that graduates to violent crimes against humans in adulthood. This research only looks at methods of animal cruelty used, and age of onset abuse. By identifying animal cruelty in childhood and adolescent children findings can be used as an indicator of adult violence and in turn develop the grounds for intervention and prevention. This research is replicated from studies done primarily by Hensley and Tallichet. In the early 1990’s Hensley and Tallichet researched and examined different aspects of animal cruelty and wrote several articles based on the same sample taken from inmates surveyed at both a medium and maximum security prisons in a southern state. According to Tallichet & Hensley (2008), the assertion that youthful animal abusers graduate to later aggression against humans, known as the “graduation hypothesis,” has become more commonly accepted by clinicians, social scientist, law enforcement, and animal advocates alike.
There was no abuse or trauma that was said to have happened during his childhood; however, it was said that he became more reserved as he grew older. He showed little to no interest in hobbies, but he was fascinated by dead animals. During his high school years, he was heavily abusing alcohol which caused his father to make him enlist in the army. He was soon kicked out and went to live with his grandmother, who then reported that he was showing very odd behavior. His parents got divorced in July of 1978 and this took a negative toll on Jeffrey. Dvorchack states, “During the divorce, Jeffrey Dahmer was left alone. His mother moved to Wisconsin with his younger brother, David; his father had moved out of the house. He was left with no food, no money and a broken refrigerator” (Dvorchack). By that time, Jeffrey was already18 and had just committed his first murder. Between 1978-1991, Jeffrey Dahmer had killed over 17 males. Some would say his parents’ divorce and rejection is what caused Jeffrey to get out of hand. Secondly, the standard way of thinking about the topic of serial killers has it that from the day they’re born, they’re going to grow up with the traits of a stereotypical killer. Another
“My consuming lust was to experience their bodies. I viewed them as objects, as strangers. It is hard for me to believe a human being could have done what I've done”(Dahmer). Jeffrey Dahmer is notably one of the most infamous serial killers in the United States. Along with seventeen murders under his belt, he was also a pedophile, cannibal and necrophiliac.
...althy individual, this is a warning.” There are deep psychological issues that lead to violent crimes against people” (cfawr). What is more shocking is that most animal abusers abuse animals for entertainment of both themselves and others, and to show their aggressiveness.
Dahmer was a pretty normal, but very lonely kid. His loneliness followed him throughout the course of his life. Never having an intimate friendship or relationship, along with being consumed with confusion over his own sexuality eventually led him to become the household name he is today. From 1978 to 1991, Dahmer murdered 17 boys and men. Not only is he considered a murderer, but he committed (on several occasions) rape and dismemberment. After his later murders, he was found guilty of necrophilia, cannibalism, and permanent preservation of body parts. He is arguably the most well known, gruesome, and intriguing criminal in American history.
During Dahmer’s psychiatric evaluation, Dr. Wahlstrom concluded, “Jeffrey was suffering from a mental illness never cured for” (FBI 1992). This leads me to perceive that Dahmer must have been displaying psychotic traits that went unnoticed and undocumented during his early lifetime. I can only speculate that this uncured mental illness lead Dahmer to develop and refine his inability to empathize with society; which in turn, lead him to engage in cruelty without mentally comprehending the victim’s suffering. Although the causes for psychopathy are unclear, some suggest that psychogenic aspects can outline abnormalities which may be present in psychopaths (Schmalleger 2014). When looking at Dahmer’s distant relationship with his parents early on in his childhood, I became conscious of the fact the lack of affection from his parents which may have lead him to develop twisted views on how one should display affection to others, thus prompting him to show psychotic behavior later on in life (The profile of Jeffrey Dahmer 1996). Even though the letter of the law fails to describe Dahmer and even if he was not fit to stand trial, I believe the court would have declared him fit for trial due to the brutality of the
(Ed.), Opposing Viewpoints. Human Genetics. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from U.S. News & World Report, 2009, March 23) Retrieved from https://ez1.maricopa.edu:2048/login?url=http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?
Over the years, the theory has evolved into today’s foremost biological crime theory. The theory takes into account genetics and disorders that may be inherited. One example of a disorder that is genetic is antisocial personality disorder. This specific disorder is accompanied by a variety of side effects, some of which may result in psychopathic or sociopathic behavior. Psychopathic and sociopathic behavior specific to this example would be murder. Jeffrey Dahmer, for example, was an individual that participated in seventeen murders over a span of thirteen years. Although Dahmer was not able to plead insanity, he still had a severe mental disorder that may be partly to blame for some of his actions. Biological disorder is often difficult to back up due to the fact that many disorders are also based on nurturing
To begin with, numerous reasons for why a child acts in the manner he exhibits and why he continues to exert such dangerous and even fatal schemes. Recent research shows that factors ranging from inherited personality traits to chemical imbalances and damages suffered in the womb can increase the odds that a child will become violent (Johnson 234). Experts argue that no one is predestined to a life of crime. They believe that influences such as repeated abuse, extreme neglect, poverty, media violence, and easy access to guns play the major role in molding children into criminals. The father of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer wonders, "If potential for evil is in the blood that some of us pass on to our children" (Seifert 23).
“There can be many reason for animal cruelty, like any other form of violence, is often committed by a person who feels powerless, unnoticed, or under control of others. Some who are cruel to animals copy acts what they have seen or that have been done to them, others see harming an animal as a safe way to get revenge against--or threaten-- someone who cares about that animal”. (“Animal… Statistics”) Concerns towards abusing animals have gone up in the past. Although there are not many cases on animal abuse, many have occurred. Abusers are charged with Criminal Animal Abuse and then sentenced to life in prison. Some animals that are physically abused are sometimes rescued by Animal Control, and are taken it to an animal shelter. However, many shelters have not had the space to keep the animals so the workers would have to put them down (Carol Roach). Researchers have shown that the main animals getting abused are dogs, chickens, horses, and livestock (“Animal...
The ugly truth is that animals are dying at the hands of their owners everyday, some in very violent ways that can be avoided given the right solution. Slaughterhouses, puppy mills, dog fighting, and so on, are just a few examples of how animals are being treated badly by people. Animal cruelty is a form of violence which, unfortunately, sometimes goes hand in hand with child abuse.... ... middle of paper ... ... Also, violence towards animals needs to be included in assessments for child protective services, in order to better prevent animals being placed in dangerous hands.
Human behavior is a loosely defined foundation for individuality, generally considered to be influenced and developed by the environment. However, recent molecular studies have exposed genetic factors that suggest a more biological origin for behavior. Gene segments in the genome of humans and other animals have been identified and associated with particular behavioral traits. Is it possible that the presence or absence of even a single gene may predispose one to alcoholism, increased irritability, or enhanced intelligence? Clearly exploration of the nature versus nurture argument with regard to genetic predisposition has social, political, and legal significance.