Jeffrey Dahmer Essays (Examples)

Jeffrey Dahmer

While the crimes that are committed by serial killers are beyond reproach, the atrocities committed continuously capture the attention of the public, sometimes fulfilling a morbid fascination with the perpetrators. The reasons and motivations that drive a serial killer to commit these crimes are for the most part unknown, however extensive studies have been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and psychologists to try and pinpoint the factors that may influence an individual. Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. Not only did Dahmer kill a series of men, he also horribly mutilated them and cannibalized several of his victims.

In many serial murders, sexual desire and gratification, as well as domination and manipulation, are motivating factors. Douglas and Olshaker (1999) contend that serial murderers commit homicidal acts because they find fulfillment in the acts themselves and they will continue to…

Jeffrey Dahmer

On July 22nd 1991, police in Milwaukee isconsin came across a young man named Tracy Edwards running down he street with a pair of handcuffs attached to one wrist. Edwards told the police that he had been held captive in the apartment of Jeffrey Dahmer, who had threatened to kill Edwards. hen the police interviewed Dahmer, he tried to pass off the incident as a simple misunderstanding, but when the police discovered some photos of dismembered body parts, they immediately arrested him. Upon a further search, police discovered photo albums of dismembered victims, as well as body parts littered throughout the apartment. "Several heads were in the refrigerator and freezer; two skulls were on top of the computer; and a 57-gallon drum containing several bodies decomposing in chemicals was found in the corner of bedroom." ("Cannibal and Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer is Caught.") The Milwaukee police had stumbled…

All of this evidence has resulted in kryptopyrrole being used as a reliable biochemical marker of psychiatric dysfunction and violent potential in individuals (Giannangelo 25).

ith these indicators, it seems highly likely that Jeffrey Dahmer may have indeed had this mauve factor. Even Jeffrey himself admitted to knowing these violent acts were dysfunctional and wrong, but there seemed to be very little he could do to control his own actions. The compulsions to murder, dismember, and cannibalize his victims were completely beyond his ability to control what seemed to be utterly primal urges.

hat this theory doesn't account for is the lack of other violent criminals in Dahmer's family. It has been shown that this kryptopyrrole disorder does have a genetic basis, and if this is to serve as a strong indicative marker for psychosis then there should be at least some minor violent criminal behavior in his family (Giannangelo…

Jeffrey Dahmer- The Criminal Delinquency

Jeffrey Dahmer was born on 21st May 1960. He was a known serial killer, rapist and engaged in a myriad of other crimes. Dahmer killed 17 males between 1978 and 1991. He also meted out a range of heinous acts on his victims, including dismembering, raping, cannibalizing and necrophilia. Dahmer was beaten and killed by an inmate in a correctional institution at Colombia. This paper looks at his childhood, adult life, the cause of his involvement in crime and the psychological theories that explain the life of such a criminal and serial killer.

His Childhood

Dahmer was a normal child by account of upbringing and birth. He started changing as he grew older. He became uncommunicative and withdrawn. Between the ages of 10 to 15, Dahmer did not show any interest in social activities or even hobbies. However, he developed a queer interest in dead…

Dahmer Forensic Analysis

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer

Crime Scene and Discovery

Never before has egregious police incompetence hindered the apprehension of a serial killer as in the case of Jeffrey Dahmer. When police were called to investigate an alleged domestic disturbance between Konerak Sinthasomophone and Jeffrey Dahmer on May 27, 1991. Although two women came to the aide of Sinthasomophone and urged police to look further into the alleged dispute, the police ignored their pleas and Dahmer was able to convince them that Sinthasomophone was his 19-year-old lover; if police had bothered to check Sinthasomophone's identification they would have seen that he was in fact only 14 years old (ardsley, n.d.). Having convinced the police that Sinthasomophone and he were in the midst of a lovers' quarrel, Sinthasomophone was released into Dahmer's custody and by the end of the night, Sinthasomophone would become Dahmer's 13th victim (ardsley, n.d.). Dahmer would proceed…

It was also at
this period in his life that the alleged acts of molestation which may have
occurred during his childhood began to manifest in psychosexual
dysfunction.
According to Odom, "in an interview Jeffrey once stated, 'it started
at the age of 14 or 15. I started having excessive fantasies of violence
intermingled with sex and it just got worse and worse. I didn't know how to
tell anyone, so I didn't. I just kept it all inside.'" (Odom, 1) Indeed,
the Odom article contends that Dahmer's drinking became a coping mechanism
but that his control over his violent sexual fantasies was dashed apart in
1978. Perhaps by no coincidence, the year that he graduated from high
school and his parents got divorced would be the same in which he committed
his first murder. Indications are also that Dahmer was exposed to violence
between his parents during the dissolution…

Nonetheless, Bill never hurts other people simply because he thinks that it is irrational to hurt others. He thinks that any rational person would be like him and not hurt other people. Does Bill really understand that hurting others is morally wrong? (Nichols, 2002, p. 285)."

This presents some interesting directions of thought. However, it is time to go into the relationship between serial murderers and forensic psychology as it applies to the crime scene. Ted Bundy seemed very much aware that he was committing crimes against society, certainly crimes against his victims. Berkowitz, it was argued, was more psychotic, and for that reason perhaps less aware of his actions as crimes against society or individuals. Berkowitz was known to have started more than a thousand fires, and had a history of cruelty to animals; both manifestations of deeper emotional problems (Schlesinger, 2004, p. 328). This does not make any…

Psychology

Analysis of the crime scene

After Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced, he was taken to the Correctional Institution of Columbia, located in Portage; a town in Wisconsin. During his first incarceration year, Dahmer was confined separately in order to keep him physically safe in case he interacted with other prisoners. With his consent, when the first solitary confinement year was over, Dahmer was taken to a unit that was less secure. Here, he was made to work for two hours each day; he used to clean the ablution block.

Apparently, Dahmer adapted well to life in prison, although he had at first been separated from the other inmates. He ultimately managed to convince the authorities to let him interact more with his fellow prisoners. Dahmer learnt religion from photos and books he received from his father. The Correctional Institution of Columbia even allowed him to go through baptism; it was…

Deviant Conduct

An individual's behavior is labeled as "deviant" when the behavior goes against the prevailing norms that govern social life. These norms are generally unspoken rules designed to promote patterns in the social interactions between people. This gives rise to expectations about how people must act and behave. Those who do not conform to these expectations are therefore considered "deviant."

Generally, there are three main areas covered by unspoken social norms. The first area concerns appearance - one's clothing, hairstyle, personal grooming. This also extends to material possessions. In Western society, in particular, people reveal much about themselves by their choice of cars, houses and jewelry.

The second area of social norms concern manners. These include how we relate to others on an interpersonal as well as a group level. Personal manner norms concern areas like proxemics, the typical distances people maintain during face-to-face interactions. Group style norms are…

Facts about the Cheshire Murders

The Cheshire murders were the Connecticut home invasion that occurred on July 23, 2007. Jennifer Hawke-Petit, wife of Dr. William Petit and her two daughters were brutally killed. Her daughter was raped and killed while Dr. William managed to escape, although, he was injured during the home invasion. (Daily Mail). Typically, the case was the most widely publicized case in the history of Connecticut because of the nature of the killings. The two daughters of the couple were Hayes aged 17 and Michael 11, were tied to the bed, suffocated and the house was set on fire. The Haye's confession proved that the two criminals had planned to rob the house in the dark. However, the police were able to arrest the penetrator named Steven J. Hayes and Joshua A. Komisarjevsky.

Sentence Defendants Receive

During the trial, the jury deliberated on the evidence against them.…

Rosman JP, Resnick PJ. Sexual attraction to corpses: a psychiatric review of necrophilia. Bull Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 1989;17(2):153-63.

It is not legal for me to reprint the article and copy you on it, since you are purchasing this paper (and copyright would be breached because you would, in form, be purchasing the article without reprint permission) -- but the article IS available for free online (your college should provide access to Google SCHOLAR and that gives not only the full article but all the times since its publication in which it has been cited or invoked in another academic or professional publication) of from PubMed. I can, however, legally provide you with the abstract

JAKE and JSTOR, both journals of jointly administered knowledge, offer the article in-full to students through their libraries.

Department of Psychiatry, Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Ohio 44109.

The authors review 122 cases (88 from the…

Dennis ader, BTK Killer

There are few things in society today that horrify or fascinate us as much as serial killers. Murderers like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer fill us with fear while also inspiring us to study them and use them as subjects of fiction. Indeed, fictional serial killer Dexter Morgan has millions of fans across the world. When examining the lives an actions of these killers, it is always interesting and shocking to see how easily they blended into their social contexts before their actions were know. A common reaction to the exposure and capture of such a serial killer is often one of disbelief, accompanied by cries to the effect that "he was such a quiet, nice person." This was also the case with Dennis Lynn ader, a serial killer who committed his first murder in 1974, but was only caught, convicted, and incarcerated in 2005.

ader…

Question 5.

There have been several memorable moments in the films we have watched in class. For instance, in the Leopard Man, the scene in which the killer believes to hear castanets being played and a woman walking towards him provides psychological insight into the killer's mental state; he was not only paranoid, but appeared to be haunted by his crimes. In "Cruising," the gay club scenes add to the confusion of the murderer's identity. These scenes are not only claustrophobic, but they are also loud and cause a visual overload; this further adds to confusion Steve Burns begins to feel in his life and allows the audience to see him begin to question his identity. In White Dog, the final scene where Dr. Hyde (the dog) attacks Carruthers -- the white trainer -- is impactful because it insinuates that animals can learn to rationalize and attempt to hold those…

Death Penalty: Right or Wrong?

For some time I have believed that the death penalty is a necessary part of our legal system, for the protection of society as a whole. In forming this opinion, I looked at Ted Bundy, who was convicted of monstrously killing four college sorority sisters and a 13-year-old girl he happened upon while she was walking home from school. He held the poor 13-year-old girl for several days in a deserted pigsty in the hot scrub woods of northern Florida before finally killing her. Some authorities think that he may be responsible for over 100 murders, and not the thirty or so he admitted to before his death. Ted Bundy tried to negotiate his way out of being put to death by hinting that the police could clear a lot more murders, but that he would only talk if his death sentence were reversed. Authorities…

This paper will examine the film Dead Man Walking as a means of discussing the greater issue of capital punishment. This paper will make the argument that while capital punishment is largely not beneficial for society, it does have a place in the justice system in certain occasions. These circumstances largely involve remorseless serial killers who are unable to be rehabilitated.
The 1995 film Dead Man Walking directed by Tim Robbins and based on the book by the nun who lived the story, Helen Prejean. The film has the truly difficult task of telling the story of the complexities of capital punishment in America. The film shows us the struggle that a nun has in attempting to comfort and help both a murderer on death row and the families of the victims he killed. The film was critically well-received and is able to strike a strong balance between the various…