Jeffrey Dahmer & Theories Explaining His Behavior

2275 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Studies on jeffrey dahmer

Jeffrey Dahmer & Theories Explaining His Behavior

Jeffrey Dahmer is a notorious man and it is for all of the right reasons that he has been labeled notorious. From 1987 to 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer murdered, sexually assaulted, and dismembered seventeen young men. He has been defined as many different things: necrophile, sadist maniac, psychotic, and many more. There were many signs that led up to his deviant behavior. A look into his adolescence will show some of those clear signs.

Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960. He was born in Milwaukee to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. His father was an extremely severe alcoholic and was very much distant and uninvolved with his wife. His mother had issues with her pregnancy and started taking drugs in order to treat her sickness. Dahmer ended up having issues with his legs shortly after he was born and couldn’t move until he was around four-months-old. His mother, eventually, began to show signs of instability. His mother resorted to taking even more antidepressants and psychotropic drugs. Dahmer, on the contrast, was growing up normal.

Within the earlier years of his parents’ marriage, Dahmer and his family moved six times. In 1962, they ended up in Iowa due to Dahmer’s father being accepted into a doctoral program in chemistry. Dahmer got exceptionally sick during this period and ended up requiring many injections to treat the infections that he succumbed to. “Toward the end of his third year, he came down with a series of infections—ear, throat, mild pneumonia—that caused him to cry through the night” (Nichols, 2006, p246). Dahmer was shy when he began preschool. When Dahmer was four, his father found some dead animals that were in decompositi...

... middle of paper ...

...een identified and labeled as many different things, there are two things we know for sure: 1) Dahmer was a serial killer and 2) Dahmer was a sexual offender.

References

Cyriax, Oliver. 2009. Dahmer, Jeffrey L. (1960-94). Encyclopedia of Crime. p86-88.

Nichols, David S. Jun2006. Tell Me a Story: MMPI Responses and Personal Biography in the Case of a Serial Killer. Journal of Personality Assessment. Vol. 86 Issue 3, p242-262.

Saborsky, Amy L. & Ramsland, Katherine. 2013. Distance Diagnosis: Can We Really Tell Whether Dahmer had Asperger’s Disorder? Forensic Examiner, Vol. 22 Issue 2, p42-48.

Terry, K. J. (2013). Sexual offenses and offenders: Theory, practice, and policy. (2nd e.d.)

Ullman, Joan. “I carried it too far, that’s for sure”: A first-person report from the insanity trial of Jeffrey Dahmer. Psychology Today. p1.

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison Of Ted Bundy And Jeffrey Dahmer

    1640 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Imani All Mine Theme

    1375 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...nd Dahmer”, Jeff Dahmer would go to school noticeably under the influence, yet somehow go by “unnoticed”. If the teachers were aware of Dahmer’s state, they never took any form of action to discipline him, question him, or be worried with his condition at all. Not once throughout the entirety of the graphic novel does a teacher, student, or parent seem remotely concerned with Dahmer’s well-being. Dahmer fought off the urge to kill many times and did it with the help of no one and nothing other than his own twisted mind, so there is reason to believe any type of assistance from an adult could have been detrimental in the process of Dahmer overcoming his violent urges. Unlike Benjie, Dahmer had no one to look up to and admire. Benjie was eventually able to appreciate and respect Butler Craig as a man who cared enough about him to put Benjie’s life above his own.

    Read More

  • Jeffrey Dahmer Case

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jeffrey Lincoln Dahmer also known as The Milwaukee Cannibal and The Milwaukee Monster was born May 21st, 1960 to his parents Joyce Annette and Lionel Herbert Dahmer. When Dahmer was six years old he had minor hernia surgery that afterwards changes in his behavior were reported. He went from a happy young boy to increasingly insecure and a loss in self-confidence, these changes seemed to coincide with the birth of his younger brother David Dahmer who was born seven years after him. At age eight Jeffrey and his family moved to Bath Ohio due to his father’s career as an analytical chemist. The move seemed to deepen his already increasing odd behavior and seclusion from society. By age fourteen he started to have impulsions to murder and perform necrophilia, these impulsions were amplified again when his parents ’marriage fell apart and they divorced in 1977.

    Read More

  • Jeffrey Dahmer the Serial Killer

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dahmer went as far as to dismember and store body parts throughout his apartment after killing them. He would sometimes even eat these dismembered body parts of the body. Some say he went so long without being caught. because he chose the ever shifting population such as drifters and prostitutes. who had no real identity.

    Read More

  • Development Dynamics And Forensics By Lawrence Miller

    1712 Words  | 4 Pages

    The article Serial killers: II. Development, dynamics, and forensics by Lawrence Miller dives in into the many aspects that encompass the psychological, neurological, and sociocultural elements that underline the average serial murderer. The elements involve childhood upbringing, types of aggression, typical neurochemistry, and subcultural theories. The article manages to include descriptions of the statistical patterns that involve the demographics, and motives that follow serial killers. It also discusses the validity and rationality of the insanity defense in prosecuting these extraordinarily vicious offenders.

    Read More

  • Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer

    2515 Words  | 6 Pages

    Lionel and Joyce Dahmer gave birth to their first born, Jeffrey Dahmer, on May 21, 1960 in Milwaukee. Despite Joyce experiencing a difficult pregnancy, Dahmer was a healthy child who was wanted and adored by both his parents. However, his mother did start to become distant to him as she refused to breast feed him and started demonstrating unstable behavior along with substance abuse. Meanwhile, his father was pursuing his doctoral for chemistry in Iowa which limited the time Lionel had with his family. At age five, Dahmer’s little brother was born and that was when the feeling of neglect set in him. For the first time, the little attention provided from his parents had to be shared with his brother David. Dahmer began displaying extreme shyness but also severe tantrums. During the ages of six and seven, Dahmer “was regarded by other children as odd and bizarre (Martens, 2005).” Even though he did not show any interest in developing genuine social relations, Dahmer did demonstrate a fascination with bug and animal dissections. When Dahmer was six he had “undergone hernia surgery, when he woke up from the anesthesia he was worried someone could have cut his genitals, the pain lasted for one week and after a long recovery period his parents remember he turned to be very loner (Giannetakis, n.d.).” It is believed that at age eight Dahmer had been sexually abused by a boy in his neighborhood (Hickey, 2013). If this event did occur, it could explain why he developed destructive sexual fantasies at the young age of twelve. Despite him being aloof, it has been reported that he would seek attention by faking epileptic seizures at school and local shops. By his adolescent years, he developed compulsive masturbation which would eventually lead to legal trouble (Silva, 2002). At the age of fourteen, Dahmer turned to alcohol abuse in order to overcome his feeling of despair and compulsive thoughts of sexual violent acts.

    Read More

  • Perry Smith: A Passion to Kill

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    Print. The. “Dahmer, Jeffrey Lionel.” The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Life. Ed.

    Read More

  • Essay On Jeffrey Dahmer

    1690 Words  | 4 Pages

    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. Jeffrey Dahmer’s last crime occurred over twenty years ago, but his name will forever be known.

    Read More

  • Jeffrey Dahmer's Use Of Control Theory

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Jeffrey Dahmer's Three Criminological Theories

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Zodiac Killer Project

    2085 Words  | 5 Pages

    Kelleher, Michael D, and Nuys D. Van. "this Is the Zodiac Speaking": Into the Mind of a Serial Killer. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2002. Print.

    Read More

  • Jeffrey Dahmer

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jeffrey Dahmer was born May 21st, 1960, the first child for Lionel and Joyce Dahmer, after a difficult pregnancy that had Joyce on various prescription drugs.

    Read More

  • H. H. Holmes: The Use Of Serial Killers

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holmes’ past and behaviors we start to see a pattern of disregard and lack of remorse (H.H. Holmes Biography, 2015; Freeman 2007). The use of criminal profiling does have its limits when it comes to the accuracy of specific characterizes and behaviors, but is an important tool for investigators to use (Winerman, 2004). Looking at the organized and disorganized characteristics associated with serial killers, we see a few from each (Freeman, 2007). Holmes organizational characteristics include Holmes’ college education, his killing in one place and disposing of the body in another place, his dismemberment of his victims, he was socially adequate, and he had a normal to high IQ (Freeman, 2007). Organized serial killers are cunning and methodical about not only how they kill their victims, but how they approach, attack and dispose of their victims (Geberth, 1995). Most serial killers do not finish college, so Holmes was quite an exception to the stereotypical serial killer (H.H. Holmes, 2004). Holmes and some serial killers manipulate their victims through highly persuasive and charming behaviors (What Motivates Serial Killers to kill 2007). When it comes to Holmes’ disorganized characteristics we see that he lived near the crime scene, and he left physical evidence (Freeman, 2007). Holmes could be labeled a psychopath as he showed a lack of conscious, remorse, and guilt for his actions (H.H. Holmes, 2004; Johns,

    Read More

  • Jeffrey Dahmer: A Famous American Serial Killer

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    He was a pretty happy child overall until he had to have a minor surgery to correct a double hernia when he was 6 years old. The surgery seemed to affect him. Dahmer’s father was very consumed in his own things and his mother also suffered with severe psychological problems. As his mother’s disease got worse the conflicts within his family escalated. He felt guilty of her sickness and thought that he was the main cause of all the problems in the family. When he was a teenager his parents’ divorce and the psychological stresses that came from it may have been the tipping point that turned his thoughts about necrophilia and murder into action. In his life he killed many males which involved drugging, raping, beating, dismembering, photographing, and eating

    Read More

  • Serial Killers Essay

    795 Words  | 2 Pages

    The biographies of most serial killers reveal significant psychological trauma at an early age, but that is no excuse due to similar biographies of successful people as well. Whenever the case of an infamous serial killer is examined, we invariably search for clues in the childhood that might explain his or her seemingly senseless murders.

    Read More

More about Jeffrey Dahmer & Theories Explaining His Behavior

Open Document