The Psychology of Lust Murder by Catherine Purcell

Author:Catherine Purcell [Purcell, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Cannibalism, Nonfiction, Psychology, True Crime
ISBN: 9780123705105
Publisher: Academic Press
Published: 2006-05-08T04:00:00+00:00

FIGURE 6.2 Trauma Control Model and the Case of Jeffrey Dahmer

(Adapted from Hickey, 1997, p. 87)

PREDISPOSITIONAL FACTORS

Hickey (1997) asserted that serial murderers possess certain predispositional factors that shape or otherwise impact their behavior. These factors or traits are biological, sociological, and psychological. They can function independent of or in conjunction with one another. An example of a biological factor is the extra Y chromosome syndrome exclusive to males, which can contribute in some circumstances to violent behavior. An illustration of a sociological factor is a dysfunctional home environment, which can influence some adolescents to engage in antisocial conduct during the formative years of their lives. An instance of a psychological factor is the presence of mental illness or certain personality disorders that can escalate and lead to aggressiveness and dangerousness.

Hickey (1997) examined several causal agents that might have influenced and contributed to Dahmer’s homicidal actions. His efforts along these lines were corroborated by Jeffrey’s father, Lionel. Together, they outlined a number of possible factors that, in combination, might have triggered Dahmer’s urge to kill.

In his book, A Father’s Story (1994), Lionel Dahmer postulated that Jeffrey’s fetal and prenatal development might have been adversely affected. Specifically, his mother’s use of phenobarbital and morphine during her pregnancy were noted. In addition to this biological account, another theory was linked to her psychiatric condition, that Jeffrey might have inherited some form of mental illness from his mother as well as some antisocial tendencies from his father.

Consistent with Hickey’s (1997, 2001) thesis, additional predispositional factors could also account for the criminal behavior of Jeffrey Dahmer. An environmental and sociological explanation for his repeated displays of sexual violence could be traceable to the dysfunctional home life to which he was subjected throughout his formative years. Given that Lionel and Joyce were thoroughly unable to relate to one another, they divided up the house so that each of them could occupy their own private space. Moreover, there was continual marital discord between Dahmer’s parents, and they eventually divorced during Jeffrey’s senior year in high school. Information produced from court documents during the divorce proceedings further supported the presence of a destructive and unhealthy family environment. Specifically, the reports indicated that both Joyce and Lionel alleged that the other parent was extremely cruel and neglectful to both Dahmer and his younger brother, David (Schwartz, 1992).

Psychological documents corroborated emotional neglect and deprivation in Dahmer’s childhood history (Egger, 2002; Hickey, 2001; Tithecott, 1999). Generally speaking, these reports indicated that Dahmer’s parents assumed a peripheral role in his life. For example, during Jeffrey’s formative development his mother was hospitalized for psychiatric reasons. His father was often absent from the home for long periods of time, attending to work-related responsibilities.

TRAUMATIC EVENTS AND LOW SELF-ESTEEM/FANTASIES

These two components of the trauma control model address the negative effects of early traumatization on the developing child and adolescent, as well as the subsequent emergence of fantasy-based constructions of self, others, and situations. Low self-esteem, individual failure, and personal doubt are the direct results of these early debilitating experiences.

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