On September 21st, 2022, Netflix released a Netflix Original depicting the story of the infamous serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, in a ten-episode true-crime drama that was well received. As a fan of the show, Dahmer came to my mind after discussing Self-Control Theory in class. Therefore I decided to research further into Dahmer's upbringing to possibly explain why one of America's most prolific serial killers' lack of self-control may have led to his crimes between 1978 and 1991.
An aspect that explains Self-Control Theory is Jeffrey Dahmer's childhood. Dahmer had neglectful parents who both suffered from alcoholism. Dahmer had surgery at a young age and his deviant behavior began shortly thereafter. Reportedly, he was sexually abused by his neighbor at the age of 8, however, it was denied by Dahmer and his father. Around the age of 18, Dahmer's behavior began to take a drastic
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Most of his early crimes occurred after his parent's divorce. Self-control theory emphasizes that low self-control becomes about due to the absence of socialization patterns from his parents and the lack of attention. Therefore, Dahmer's behavior caused his decision-making to become inhibited and the lack of consequences for deviant behavior minimized the costs. To expand on this, the essay "Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer" by Nicholas Zeigler, states that lack of self-control comes from poor parenting and is marked by an abusive childhood, (Zeigler, 2007). Ziegler explains that self-control is fully established in the fifth grade, stabilizing around the ages of 10 to 12, (Ziegler, 2007). Additionally, according to the Department of Psychology (n.d.), Dahmer was charged with drunkenness, disorderly conduct, indecent exposure, and child molesting. Dahmer did not have the resources to establish his self-control. Therefore his propensity for risky
In 1978, at the age of 18, he committed his first murder. Over the next 13 years, Dahmer would go on to kill at least 17 people before being caught by police in 1991. Dahmer's crimes were particularly gruesome. He would lure young men back to his apartment with promises of money or alcohol before drugging them and killing them. He then dismembered their bodies and kept their remains in his apartment for
The skulls of Beeks and Miller were recovered in Dahmer’s apartment when he was arrested. 1991 was the fall of Dahmer, however, it was also the most deadly year. On March 7, he picked up Curtis Straughter, age 18, at a bus stop and offered him money to go home with him. This is the first time that Jeffrey switch up the routine of his murder. This time, he drugged Slaughter prior to having sex and killing him.
Dahmers modus operandi was to find single men, ask them to go home with him for the night, either to his grandmothers or his apartment depending on where he lived at the time, then usually ask them to pose for pornography for him, perform sexually, drug them, murder them, and then cut up the bodies for disposal. He was considered a necrophiliac, a cannibal, and was a convicted pedophile. Dahmer mainly targeted young men and boys between the ages of 14 and 33. Most of his victims were African Americans, as he once said he hated black people, but not all of them were. All of his killings were in Wisconsin, and one in Ohio, being his first ever murder.
Dahmer would not kill again for nine years. Dahmer developed a drinking problem which led to him dropping out of Ohio
He remained this way up until his first murder, when he was only 18. His first victim was a hitchhiker named Steven Hicks. Dahmer took the young man back to his parent’s house where he proceeded to get him drunk. As soon as Hicks tried to leave, Dahmer killed him with a blow to the head from a barbell. He dismembered the body and buried it in plastic bags behind his parent’s house.
He would also put ketchup around his mouth, and tell the guards, “Be careful, I bite”. Dahmer’s creepy sense of humor made him lose his life. On November 28, 1994, he was beaten to death by a fellow inmate, Christopher Scarver. They were both in the weight room when Scarver hit him over the head with a metal bar twice. He died on the way to Divine Savior Hospital in Portage.
Jeffery Dahmer was an American serial killer in the 80s Dahmer killed 17 young men over the course of 13 years. Jeffery Dahmer was a child who was neglected by his parents, due to his father working continuously and his mothers addiction to drugs; therefore, he felt like never received any affection from either of them. The only bonding he and his father had was dissecting roadkill in the garage, thus teaching his son skills to utilize on his victims. By the time he was 18, Dahmer was already struggling with his personal desires, his hidden homosexuality, and fantasy for murder; however, this fantasy did not become reality until June of 1978 when Dahmer picked up a hitchhiker named Steven Hicks and murdered him. Jeffery Dahmer, “the Milwaukee Cannibal” who was an American serial killer, murdered 17 and cannibalized some young men from 1978-1991; however He was caught in 1991 when one of his victims escaped.
Jeff enjoyed his weekly treat at the soda shop and roaming the fields near home with his dog Frisky (Chin, 38). However, by the time he was six, young Dahmer changed in to a shy, sullen child (Chin, 38). As Dahmer entered his high school years, he developed a heavy drinking habit, to the point where one schoolmate described Jeff as constantly smelling of whiskey. Along with his addiction to the bottle, Jeff stated that he had developed “obsessive thoughts of violence intermingled with sex
Jefferey Dahmer was a lifelong alcoholic. In his teenage years, Jefferey started consuming large amounts of alcohol to cope with his sexuality. He repeatedly attended class in high school and college drunk and incoherent. In 1978, Jefferey Dahmer committed his first murder.
He started showing no interest in anything and started drinking for entertainment at age thirteen. He kept drinking throughout high school but that did not stop him from graduating in 1978, at eighteen years old(Jeffrey Dahmer | Crime Library | Serial Killers, n.d.). Three weeks later Dahmer killed Steven Hicks and It would be nine years before he killed again (Jenkins, 2023). His alcoholism was a big part of his life, Dahmer attended college that fall but
There theory states that if a person has low self control they are more likely to commit crime. Characteristics of low self control according to Gottfredson and Hirschi are seeking immediate gratification, look for easy way to satisfy desires, enjoys acts that are exciting, risky, or thrilling, lack personal stability, low frustration tolerance, and is self centered or insensitive. Also according to Gottfredson and Hirschi people lacking in self-control are more likely to experience problems in social relationships, such as marriage and they are likely to use drugs and abuse alcohol. Bulger in his early childhood had wanted to join the circus the easiest way for him to do this was to run away from home and find a circus so thats exactly what he did. Bulger can also been seen throughout his whole life trying to find things that were either risky or exciting in his early childhood he at only 14 committed serious crimes.
This paper is going to talk about Dahmer’s crimes in more detail, the overview of the developmental theory, and how the developmental theory can explain Dahmer’s childhood to create the monster he was. Jeffery Lionel Dahmer was an American serial kill and sex offender. Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960 in West Allis, Wisconsin. He was born to father Lionel Dahmer and mother Joyce Dahmer. Between the years of 1978 and 1991, Dahmer
“Dahmer was neglected by his parents. His mother suffered from mental-health issues—most likely beginning with
Jeff would usually pick a public place to choose his victims such as in gay bars, adult book stores, and shopping malls. He would go out usually during the day to find his prey. He typically would offer the victim alcohol, or sex, in order for them to go back to his place. Dahmer would brutally kill these men, and boys after his sexual desires were achieved. He would drug their drinks, and when least expected, aggressively molest, strangle, and kill the victim.
Between 1978 and 1991, American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer targeted and murdered 17 men. Jeffrey reportedly had dismembered, had sexual intercourse, and was taking photos of their corpse. He kept gruesome souvenirs from the killings, as well as polariod photos, all of which only came to light after his arrest in 1991. Dahmer was methodical in the way he sought his victims out and killed them.