Forensic Psychology: The Genetics Of Serial Killers

This paper is a biography about Jeffery Dahmer, a notorious serial killer and sex offender. Mr. Dahmer was born on May 21st, 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jeffery murdered a total of 17 men, while molesting some of these victims. His first murder victim was Steven Hicks back in 1978. His killing spree went from 1978 up until 1991. When he was seized, he was sentenced to fifteen consecutive life terms. But on November 28, 1994 Jeffery Dahmer was murdered by a fellow prison inmate by the name of Christopher Scarver.

“Serial killers are human black holes; they scare us because they mirror us,” spoke Shirley Lynn Scott, known author and psychologist. This stands true throughout history, as most serial killers blend in with society. Serial killing is formally defined by the FBI as “a series of three or more killings, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor or actors.” But what exactly drives someone to kill another human being? What plays as a more drastic motivator for their actions, nature or nurture?

Jeffrey Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960 in West Allis,Wisconsin. He and his parents, Lionel Dahmer and Joyce Annette, were an average american family who strived for the best. Jeffrey’s father was a graduate student who wanted to pursue a career as an analytical chemist. His mother worked as a teletype machine instructor. However, Jeffrey Dahmer’s mother was not a stable women. She had a history of psychological problems which meant that her son was susceptible to mental illness due to genetic factors. Growing up, Jeffrey had trouble with interacting with his peers. He also had a peculiar fascination with dead animals and “according to his father, his son was ‘oddly thrilled’ by the sound the bones made and instantly developed a fixation for playing with and collecting animal bones (“Jeffrey Dahmer” Wikipedia).” As he got older, he developed an addiction to alcohol. He started drinking heavily during high school which negatively affected his grades. Another issue that Dahmer faced in his early life was

Jeffrey Dahmer, one of the most famous serial killers, was a sick and extremely twisted man. Rape, necrophilia, dismemberment, and cannibalism were all involved in Dahmer’s murders. Jeffrey Dahmer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 21, 1960. Dahmer had a fairly normal childhood. His parents recall that Jeffrey was an “energetic and happy child.” Dahmer’s parents believe something went wrong with their son at around the age of four after he had a surgery to try and correct a double hernia. He started becoming distant at around age 10; soon, his interest involved dead animals and drinking. Eventually, his parents grew tired of his outrageous drinking problem and Jeffrey’s father made him enlist in the army. Soon enough, he was kicked out

Lionel and Joyce Dahmer became parents to a baby boy named Jeffery Dahmer who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 21, 1960. During Jeffrey’s adolescent years, until the age of 4; he was described as a happy and content kid. As the years went on, Jeffery’s parents gave birth to another baby boy and along with that; Jeffrey moved quite frequently creating a sense of instability in his life. Now with a new sibling and frequent moves in his life Jeffery’s parents started noticing how disengaged and withdrawn he had become. Dahmer had an awkwardness about him that often led to his inability to socialize with other kids and left him alone and without friends. Once Mr. Dahmer was in his teens he began to experience compulsions toward necrophilia particularly after his parents’ divorce.

Seventeen. Seventeen men and boys who never got the opportunity to have a future. Seventeen families who grieved and lost hours of sleep, waiting on their son, brother, or friend to come home but never would. Seventeen young lives taken by one of the most infamous serial killers in the history of the United States; Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer. Jeffrey Dahmer was much more than a murderer; he raped, ate, and sometimes preserved certain body parts of his victims. But, why? What drove this man to commit such gory and violent crimes? As a child, Dahmer experienced severe negligence by his parents. His mother was a stay-at-home mom (and psychologically ill) and his father was a student at Marquette University. Jeffery’s father traveled for his studies and was never in the household. This engendered his mother’s desire for her husband’s affection but never received it due to his absence. The problems that existed between them provoked a lack of the childhood care that young Jeffery needed. He was often lonely and excluded himself from people. As a child, Dahmer had an extreme and odd fascination in the dismemberment of animals. His parents never gave it much attention and thought this interest was very normal. This was only the beginning of Jeffery’s anatomic study of dead beings. Dahmer may seem like a complete psychopath and indeed he was, but he is only one of thousands of serial

Jeffrey Dahmer was born on May 21st 1960 in West Allis Wisconsin. His childhood life wasn’t the greatest. His parents said he was a normal kid until the age of 4, when he had surgery for a double hernia. This surgery seemed to

Serial killers have always fascinated society because no one knows how they come to be. People tend to think that being a psychopath is the same as being a serial killer. The acts committed by serial killers are too heinous and horrifying for a normal person to understand. Which is where one of the theories of how serial killers came to be came from. Nature vs. Nurture has been a topic of debate when it comes to serial killers for centuries. The debate is about whether genetics or environment factors determine the behavior and personality of a person. Just like hair color is determined by genetics, Those who argue genetics are the main factor in behaviour believe that genetic determines a person’s ability to take life without guilt or remorse. Those who are the believers of nurture side disagrees by stating that environmental factors like family, faith, and society regulate one’s capability to take life without remorse. Society needs to refrain from thinking that serial killers are born because they are made through psychological trauma caused by abuse at an early age or brain damage.

The question of whether or not man is predetermined at birth to lead a life of crime is a question that has been debated for decades. Are serial killers born with the lust for murder, or are their desires developed through years of abuse and torment? Many believe it is impossible for an innocent child to be born with the capability to commit a horrible act such as murder. But at the same time, how could we have corrupted society so much as to turn an innocent child into a homicidal maniac? Forensic psychologists have picked apart the minds of serial killers to find an answer as to what forces them to commit such perverse acts. Their ultimate goal is to learn how to catch a serial killer before

    Have you ever wondered why people do the things they do? Everyday we question ourselves about activities we see others performing and wonder what could possibly be their reasoning behind it all.  Asking more questions is something we should all be doing. Some researchers have taken this curiosity to the next level and have asked themselves “Are serial killers born or created?” Are the actions of these psychopaths brought on by different events, or are they simply born with the ability to take another person 's life? These are the million dollar questions that everyone should be asking about serial killers. Something is different about those who are capable

The biological theories are essential to the criminal justice profession so that they won't assume that a person's genetic characteristics cause a person to commit a crime. However, there are born criminals and “these types of criminals are the most dangerous, and can be identified through his or her stigmata or identifying characteristics” (Akers, Sellers, See, & Kieser, 2013, p. 10). Biological theories are the bases for severe criminal behavior mostly found among people who are born with an innate impulse to commit a

Biological theories are the biological explanations of crime. A famous theorists Cesare Lombroso, founder of the Italian school of Positivist Criminology. His biological explanation of crime, was that criminal behavior were genetic and that individuals who take part in crime, can be recognized by physical abnormalities or defects. One example is that murders have cold, glassy blood shot eyes, long hair and thin lips. He insisted that criminals committed acts that were beyond their control. William Sheldon theory of crime took on a different approach; he associates certain body types with certain behaviors. In his theory, he believed behavior to be inherited. One of Sheldon theory was that there is an association between personality and body type. Below are three basic body types according to Sheldon ▪ Endomorphs-which are heavy, obese; soft, round shaped ▪ Mesomorph- rectangular build, muscular, hard and heavy ▪ Ectomorphs-linear, flat, thin, fragile, and delicate. Another biological explanation of crime relates to certain brain dysfunctions (Sammons, 2015). This can be seen in children and adults who suffer from ADHD, and other hyperactivity

Jeffrey Dahmer suffered from severe loneliness and antisocial behavior which were both influenced by his genetic makeup and his environment. Jeffrey Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960 in West Allis, Wisconsin. Jeffrey had an intellect that was above average and seemed to have the mind of a normal, curious child until his parents divorced and his mother died. Shortly, Dahmer became a very reserved child who also had an attraction to animals. Dahmer’s later psychotic behavior

There has always been a fascination with trying to determine what causes an individual to become a criminal? Of course a large part of that fascination has to do with the want to reduce crime, and to determine if there is a way to detect and prevent individuals from committing crime. Determining what causes criminality is still not perfectly clear and likewise, there is still debate as to whether crime is caused biologically, environmentally, or socially. Furthermore, the debate is directly correlated to the notion of 'nurture vs nature'. Over time many researchers have presented various theories pertaining to what causes criminal behavior. There are many theories that either support or oppose the concept of crime being biological rather

(Walsh, Bolen) Biological theory of criminal behavior says that criminals are born and not made and that a criminal