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Jeffrey Dahmer

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Analysis of Jeffrey Dahmer using Crime Theories
The field of criminology has been used over the years to systematically study the causes of crime. In criminology, explaining why people commit a crime is very important. However, the explanations of crime are just as complex as the society is deemed to be. Various theories have regularly been used to explain crime in the past as criminologists seek the most effective solutions to reduce the levels of crime. They attempt to explore the conditions that led to criminal behavior and the factors within the society that contributed to its existence. One of the most examined types of offenders is the serial killer. The term ‘serial killer’ has been known to strike both fear and curiosity in equal measures. …show more content…

However, his childhood is reported to have key factors that influenced his criminal behavior. One of these key factors includes his mother’s suffering from a mental illness, the rocky marriage of his parents, and the feeling of neglect once his younger brother was born. At the age of six, he had surgery for a double hernia that is thought to have emotionally affected him. His personality changed dramatically from an outgoing boy to a much withdrawn and uncommunicative one, as he got older than before. He lost interest in hobbies at the onset of his adolescent years and found it even more difficult to maintain social relationships having moved out of home thrice by the time he was eight years (Schechter, 2012). He found solace in dead animals and started drinking heavily during the high school years. It is during these high school years that he became an alcoholic. He was forced to drop out of the army as a result of his alcoholic behavior. It is reported that Dahmer was sexually abused by his father at a young age (Hickey, 2012).
His fascination with dead animals continued throughout his teenage years. He would dissolve the dead animals in chemicals and occasionally leave out their heads on a stake. Such features relevant to Dahmer included his inability to develop his social skills, in addition to the impulsive behavior that led to the development of sexual offenses. By the time he was 13 years, he had been arrested …show more content…

The rational choice theory describes event decisions as part of a criminal’s thought process prior, during and after committing the crime. According to Hall (2012), event decisions involve preparation, target selection, commissioning the act, escape strategy, and the aftermath. Jeffrey Dahmer used this process to perfection. He would start by selecting the most attractive person in a bar, lure him to his house, and commit the crime before disposing and keeping some parts of the victims’ body. According to Miller et al. (2014), people freely choose behavior based on their rational calculations. With all other things being equal, the choice made by a person will be directed towards achieving the highest level possible of individual pleasure. Crime, according to the rational choice theory, is chosen for its benefits and will always occur if the benefits outweigh the costs. Of all the incentives that drove Dahmer, the sexual fantasies reigned supreme. His sexual impulses dramatically resurfaced whenever he was drunk. He became more and more desperate for companionship that would make him feel superior and in control. Cornis et al. (2014) states that the motives of many serial killers are based on the combination of psychological rewards. These rewards, such as sexual excitement, were what drove Dahmer into committing crime after crime. Dahmer obtained the greatest pleasure from possessing his

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