Jeffery Dahmer Research Paper

Jeffery Lionel Dammer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal raped, murdered and dismembered seventeen boys and men over 13 years. His murders involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the preservation of body parts. He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, psychotic disorder and paraphilia. Jeffery Dahmer was found guilty and sentenced to fifteen life terms on February 15, 1992 and was beaten to death in prison at the Columbia Correctional Institution on November 28, 1994.
Necrophilia is the sexual arousal stimulated by a dead body. This stimulation can either be in the form of a fantasy or from actual sexual contact with the dead body. Jeffery Dahmer was sexually aroused by the sight and feel of a dead body. He would often lay next

to and masturbate over the dead body.
Paraphilia are abnormal sexual desires involving extreme or dangerous activities. In this case the paraphilia is manifested in the form of engaging in dangerous sexual encounters with strangers and later dead bodies. Jeffery Dammer found excitement in luring unsuspecting young men to his home, drugging, and murdering them.
Borderline personality disorder is a condition where the individual has difficulties regulating emotion. This can lead to unstable mood swings, impulsivity, and poor personal relationships. Jeffery Dammer did not have many personal relationships other than the occasional call from his grandmother. He would bribe or coerce young men into spending time with him by telling them he would give them money and later killing them. It wasn't until later in his killing spree that he would start to consume parts of his victims.
Individuals with schizotypal disorder are described as odd or eccentric and do not have many friends or close relationships.

Schizotypal disorder can often times be confused with schizophrenia. However unlike schizophrenia, the hallucinations and psychotic episodes associated with schizotypal personality disorder are brief and not as intense.
The diagnosis of a psychotic disorder is very broad, however the main characteristics are delusions and hallucinations caused by abnormal thinking and perceptions. Jeffery was under the delusion that what he was doing was justifiable and that he would not be caught. He was diagnosed as sane at his trial and evidence discovered during the investigation showed that he was conscious of his decisions and knew what he was doing while he was luring, murdering, and dismembering his victims.
Cannibalism is the eating of human flesh or internal organs. Jeffery Dahmer found pleasure in consuming various parts of his victims. He reveled in preserving their skulls and decorating them like trophies. On occasion he would attempt to preserve the skin of his victims but would fail and end up dissolving their remains in acid before disposing of them all

together.
The information in the media about these disorders is for the most part accurate. However it can be sensationalized for the profit of various medias. In that case the portrayal of these disorders is inaccurate. Ultimately the fact that these illnesses can develop into something dangerous if they are not discovered or diagnosed properly is shown well. In Jeffery’s case of course the disorders will be demonized in order to show how having been a victim of the illnesses caused him to commit such horrific crimes.

The disorders revealed in the investigation of Jeffery Dahmer are disturbing and once analyzed make sense. He was a loner, who did not confide in what friends and family he did have. Jeffery had difficulty holding down a job and was constantly moving from place to place. He had difficulty maintaining a job, residence, or any type of close personal relationship. Jeffery had a long history of undiagnosed and untreated mental illness which resulted in the loss of life. Had he been caught earlier or sought treatment for his illnesses many lives would have been spared, including his own.