This paper explores three criminological theories as to why Jeffrey Dahmer committed his crimes. Although these approaches vary in terms of defining the cause of crime, one thing is certain, there is no single cause of crime; the crime is rooted in a diversity of causes and takes a variety of forms depending on the situation in which the crimes occur. However, the published articles vary in their definitions and uses of Criminological Theory. Rawlins (2005) suggest that the criminal phenomenon is too complex to be explained by a single theory. Other theories suggest differently and; therefore, have varying explanations. This paper examines the Psychological, Biochemical, and Social Process theories to slightly explain Jeffrey Dahmer’s actions. …show more content…
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 …show more content…
Abram Hoffer found that disruptive children consumed far less the optimum levels of vitamin B3 and B6 than did nonproblem youths (as stated in Schmallger 2014). I then speculated if the injections that Dahmer received could have in fact counter acted the necessary vitamins for normal brain growth. Researchers also have concluded that low levels of serotonin are directly related to a person’s inability to control aggressive impulses (Schmallger 2014). Could these injections account for a mental instability in Dahmer? I believe that the injections could have attributed to his inability to associate with his classmates and teachers causing him not to develop key fundamental social practices to help him transition into a larger scale of society. “One Swedish study that focused on variations in blood serum levels of two thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (FT4), found that elevated T3 levels were related to alcoholism and criminality” (as stated in Schmallger 2014). Modern science has allowed researchers to look in depth at these discoveries that indicate relationships between Dahmer’s behavior and chemical imbalance; nevertheless, these extensive studies can only allow us to look into a small portion of the actual causes of his
The nurturing of individuals plays a role in the making of killers, as 94% of serial killers had experienced some form of abuse as children and 42% have suffered severe physical abuse (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010). A child abuse is a determining factor, in which supports the idea that serial killers and psychopath, are influenced significantly by nurture (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). In most cases social, cultural and physiological determinants all play a role in influencing serial killers to grow into a mass murderer. It is important that physiological and social determinants can be identified, so they could be altered for the purpose of preventing the number of crime.
“My Consuming lust was to experience their bodies. I viewed them as objects, as strangers. It's hard for me to believe a human being could have done what I've done.” Quote by Jeffrey Dahmer. In the dates of 1978-1991 Jeffrey Dahmer also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal. A serial killer and sex offender who committed rape, murder, dismemberment, necrophilia, and cannibalism of 17 men. How are people able to become a killer, is it their childhood, a trauma, or even a mental disability. In Jeffrey Dahmer's case, it was seen from a very young age that he was distant and or felt neglect. Early on he had a interest with animals, he would find animals by the road a dismember them and store them in a jar. Dahmer committed his first murder at the age
To start Dahmer had a ordinary childhood; however he became withdrawn and uncommunicative as he got older. Entering his teenage years he started drinking for entertainment. His drinking continued throughout high school but didn’t stop him from graduating in 1978. Dahmer committed his first murder three weeks after graduating. He picked up a hitchhiker named Stephen Hicks and offered to take him to his father’s house to drink beer. What Hicks thought was going to
Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer who raped, murdered, and cannibalized 17 men before he died in 1994 (n/a. 2016). According to most accounts, Dahmer had a normal childhood but as he got older, he became withdrawn and uncommunicative (n/a. 2016). He started to show very little interest in hobbies and social interactions between age 10 and 15 (n/a.
Descriptions of him as a child indicate he had a normal childhood and was energetic and happy. At age six Dahmer’s brother David was born and at age eight the Dahmer family moved from Milwaukee to Bath, Ohio. Reports indicate Jeffrey Dahmer was sexually assaulted after moving to Ohio by a neighborhood boy (citation). By this time, Dahmer was inhibited and withdrawn, he showed a lack of interest in hobbies and social interaction between the ages of 10 and 15-years old. He began to drink excessively in high school and his interests converted to dead animals collecting their bones and skeletons (Biography, 2017). Jeffrey Dahmer presented abnormal behavior throughout his high school years and his alcoholism added to his negative behavior
Jeffrey Dahmer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 21, 1960, into the household of Lionel and Joyce Dahmer [Biography.com Editors] As a newborn and young child, he appeared to have no mental or physical problems and was a very curious and outgoing child. Although as he grew older and after he moved three times, other problems started to reside around Jeff, he was very socially awkward and had a very hard time connecting
I believe that Jeffrey Dahmer was a psychopath. According to the Table 3.2 handout on Characteristics of a Psychopath, a psychopath displays superficial charm and good "intelligence", and lack of remorse or shame as well as a few other qualities. Dahmer used his charm to lure young men from bars to his home where he would then commit his crimes. He also never displayed any type of remorse for his actions. I think if he had remorse, he would’ve stopped after his first crime. Living with guilt is difficult, it takes a psychopath to live with 17 victims. I also think that his crimes are culpable and that he knew he was
Jeffery Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms for the murders of 17 men and boys in the Milwaukee area between 1978-1991. Dahmer had sex with the corpses of his victims and kept the body parts of others, some of which he ate. Later he was beaten to death by another prison inmate (Pearson, par. 1). Could there possibly be an excuse for these horrific actions? Recent research proves that the serial killer brain is underdeveloped in the section in which ethical and moral decisions are made.
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was born May 21, 1960 in Milwaukee. He was raised by his parents, Lionel and Joyce Dahmer who cared for him deeply. Dahmer was diagnosed with a double hernia in his scrotum when he was four and the operation left him feeling vulnerable and exposed as no one explained what was happening to him. This experience could have marked his subconscious all together. When Jeffrey Dahmer was six, his mother gave birth to his younger brother, David. During his childhood Dahmer experienced sexual abuse from a neighbour (which he never confirmed) and neglect from his parents which contributed to his downward spiral into killing. Between the years of 1978 and 1991, 17 young men and boys went missing and were murdered in
He started to show an interest in dead animals killing them and dissecting them. Which are early signs for serial killers. His alcoholism also formed during high school and he became an avid drinker. His alcoholism got so bad that it prevented him from getting the help he needed when he had the chance. His father sent him to enlist in the army but they kicked him out because of his alcohol problem. He also spent time in the hospital but was kicked out for the same issue. Dahmer then moved in with his grandmother and this is where things got strange. His grandmother found a .357 magnum gun underneath his bed and a male mannequin in his closet. He then continued on with his fixation with dead animals. Dahmer took dead squirrels into his basement, dissected them, and dissolved them with
Showing a possibility of Dahmer’s mental illness having a biological connection. Dahmer's mother had taken a medication during pregnancy with Jeffrey that has been mentioned as a possible contributing factor. He witnessed extreme tension between his parents in his home environment this also could have played a part.
He was the weird kid that no one wanted to be seen with and this made it nearly impossible for Jeffrey to learn any social skills. Dahmer grew up in a home full of neglect. His father worked a lot leaving no time for his son and at the age of six Jeffrey’s mother gave birth to his younger brother David, which turned all her attention to the newborn. In 1978 Jeffrey’s parents got a divorce. Both mother and father fought over who David would live with but neither cared where Jeffrey would go. This made him feel remarkably unloved. Years later Jeffrey was living in the basement of his grandmother’s house. His grandmother began to get sick of all of his absurdity resulting in asking him to move out. Once again Jeffrey felt unloved and rejected. Harry F. Harlow explains that children look to their caregiver for basic needs as well as to feel love, acceptance, and affection. After Harlow did the motherless monkeys experiment, it was found that the monkeys whose mothers did not meet the needs for their child constructed the children to grow to become violent and even kill their own children. Considering Jeffrey Dahmer had no one close in his life to give him a child's needs it could very likely be one of the reasons why Jeffrey felt urged to commit his murders. This also portrays certainty of being nurtured into inhumane
Throughout all stages of the Dahmer case, we witness this detailed process of social constructions that include his childhood, his murders, his arrest by the police, the uncovering of gruesome evidence in his apartment, the public trial, there is also a question floating around about his clutch on sanity, his sentencing and his time in jail, and, finally, Dahmer's violent death in prison. In tracing the development of the case, Tithecott outlines the social roles that the serial killer can be made to play; he can appear as animal, kind person, royalty, crazed homosexual, outgoing loner, or a deadly infection of the social body. Tithecott's basis throughout analysis is that "serial killing should not be explained away as 'something else,' but that the serial killer is 'doing what he wants to do,' making his fantasies come tragically true" (p. 59). The book's two major topics, one entitled "Policing the Serial Killer," the other "Dreaming the Serial Killer". "Dreaming the Serial Killer," suggests that these fantasies the killer lives out are shared by his family and the environment around him. Also visions of crooked views the killers need
While profiling serial killers we must look into their psychological and sociological characteristics in order to see if there is a pattern in which criminologist are able to pin point traits that can be related to other serial killers. By having this information criminologist are able to make determinations to what social approach problems a serial killer might posse. While serial killers only represent a small fraction of criminals in the United States, their crime contributes to only a small number of crimes (O’Reilly-Fleming, 1996). O’Reilly-Fleming (1996) suggests that there is an estimated ten serial killers in the United States at one time, however, the FBI estimates that there are between twenty-five and fifty serial killers operating throughout the U.S. at any given time ().
Serial killers have captivated the attention of scientists from the first signs of their existence to modern day. Interested by these killers’ inhumane actions, researchers set out to determine the cause of such graphic, horrific crimes. The brain has been brought into question regarding the motivation of these cold blooded killers. After extensive research, abnormalities of both the chemical composition and material makeup have been identified within the brains of numerous serial killers. These differences are more than mere coincidence, they are evidence that killers do not think in the same way. The killers’ drives and motives are irregular, just as their brains are. Not only are these variations interesting, but they are also crucial to the justice system in regards to the punishment of past, future, and present sequential murderers. It is important that as a society we learn the differences in the mind of a killer, and also recognize and understand them. A serial killer’s brain greatly differs in function from the average citizen’s brain due to physical variations in the brain and a different chemical makeup.