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1 Criminological Theories and the Jeffrey Dahmer Case Allen Bittner Southern New Hampshire University Criminal Justice 340 Dr. Wendie Albert March 3, 2024

2 Jeffery Dahmer, an American serial killer, was found guilty of murdering 17 men between the years 1978 and 1991. Jeffery Dahmer's victims were mostly gay black men that he found at bars and lured them back to his apartment with hopes of sex or money (McEvoy, 2021). He then offered them alcohol laced with triazolam (aka Halcion) and temazepam. These drugs are often used to help with insomnia and work by calming the brain and leaving the person sleepy and incapacitated (Tempera et al, 2022). Once his victims were incapacitated, Dahmer performed many different experiments on his victims in attempts to make “zombie sex-slaves (Jentzen, 2017).” Dahmer would eventually strangle them all before committing various sexual acts with the corpses. Before disposal of the body, Dahmer kept souvenirs of his victims in the form of body parts and pictures of his victims at various stages of decomposition. Dahmer also ate many of his victims. Culture is very important within the context of criminal behavior. This relationship can be seen as “the invisible hand of culture [which] drives the process of criminalization and helps to determine which acts we will sanction through criminal statutes (Nunn, 2006).” As culture changes so does the outlook on crime and punishment. To understand this difference, we can look at parameters such as what is considered a crime as well as the punishments that different cultures assign to that crime. For example, in the case of Jodi Magi, an Australian who was in the United Arab Emirates, was arrested after posting an image of a car illegally parked across two parking spaces for disabled drivers with a caption that included insulting and degrading remarks. Jodi was strip searched, made to sleep on a concrete floor, and had no access to toilet paper during her two-day jail time. She was deemed guilty and sentenced to pay a $3,600 fine and deportation (Press, 2015). The United States would not have punished her as it values the rights of freedom of speech.

3 Social bond theory suggests that adolescents who fail to develop social bonds with friends, family members, coworkers, and schoolmates are more likely to express delinquent behavior (Wiatrowski, 1979). Dahmer experienced this isolation and lack of attachment through his culture because his family relocated several times. Into his early teens he was friendless. The isolation he experienced when his parents got divorced was the proverbial “stick” that broke the camel's back. Seeing his parents constantly argue and experiencing the tension within the house made him question the solidary of his family and his life, leading him to act on his necrophilia and murderous compulsions. Due to the isolation, he experienced throughout his life, his environment was more influential to his criminal behavior than his nature (McEvoy, 2021). Criminological theory can be separated into three main groups: biological theories, psychological theories, and sociological theories. Each of these groups attempt to give insight into why people commit deviant acts / criminal behavior. Additionally, they can give insight as to what types of policies can help deter crime and set up preventative measures to address inadequacies that contribute to crime. It is important to use multiple theoretical approaches due to the complexity of human behavior and crime. Within the Dahmer case, multiple theories applied to his behavior such as the bond theory, behavior theory, psychoanalytic theory, strain theory, social disorganization theory, and control theory. When only one or few theories are applied to a situation, generalizations can materialize. Generalizations are dangerous as they lead to the oversimplification of complex human behavior, ignoring individualizing factors and leading to stereotyping. As in all facets of life, ethics is an extremely important part of criminology. Ethics is important within criminological research. The three main issues related to research ethics are: the role of informed consent, the impact of the research design on outcome, and the necessity of

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4 confidentiality and immunity (Esbensen, 1991). Besides the harm that unethical research can have on the participants of the study, it will also harm the credibility of the research. Because criminological theory needs to be applied on a larger scale, ethical issues will also bring up concerns including generalization and stereotyping. Following ethical guidelines when applying criminological theory ensures that it is used responsibly, while respecting individuals' rights, and does not cause harm. While psychological and biological theories could help explain the crimes Dahmer committed, I believe that the sociological theories, social bond theory and strain theory, provide the most applicable explanation of the Dahmer case. Since the social bond theory was mentioned above, I will discuss the strain theory here. Strain theory explains how negative stimuli resulting from relationships and a lack of genuine options can lead a person to commit a crime, typically out of anger (Friel, 2014). In Jeffery Dahmer’s case, he constantly received negative stimuli since his childhood. He was not able to maintain friends early on because his family moved a lot, his parents were very distant towards him, and his parent's relationship was very toxic relationship. Most people would try to adapt to a lack of social connections by trying to make connections elsewhere (friends, connections to coworkers etc.). Instead, Dahmer showed signs of retreatism, becoming an alcoholic at the age of 14. During the time of the killings, homosexuality was not as accepted as today. The inability to live up to societal perceived goals of the time would have placed massive strain on Dahmer. The anger that the strain placed on him could explain some of the behavior exhibited. For example, attempting to turn his victims into zombie sex-slaves would show his need for attachment and control over his victims. Keeping souvenirs such as parts of their bodies or various decomposition pictures would also signify the need for attachment. The

5 killings would resemble the anger felt from a clash between his homosexuality and societal stigmatization of homosexuality. A policy that works off the assumptions made by strain theory would have two focus points, reducing negative stimuli and encouraging better coping mechanisms. Limiting exposure to verbal and physical abuse can help to remove negative stimuli. Examples could include better awareness for bullying within schools or mandated reporting laws for councilors that suspect abuse at home. Lastly, programs that teach problem solving, anger control, and other strategies for coping could provide help (Agnew, 1995).

6 References McEvoy, C. (2021, August 13). Jeffrey Dahmer - Murders, Victims & Death . Biography.com. https://www.biography.com/crime/jeffrey-dahmer Jentzen J. M. (2017). Micro Disasters: The Case of Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Academic forensic pathology , 7 (3), 444–452. https://doi.org/10.23907/2017.037 FBI. (2017). Serial Killers, Part 7: Jeffrey Dahmer | Federal Bureau of Investigation . Federal Bureau of Investigation. https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/serial-killers-part-7-jeffrey- dahmer Tempera, J & Talbert, S. Jeffrey Dahmer Used His Own Halcion Prescription To Drug His Victims . (2022, September 27). Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a41352256/what-drug-did-jeffrey-dahmer-use- triazolam/ Nunn, K. (2006). New Explorations in Culture and Crime: Definitions, Theory, New Explorations in Culture and Crime: Definitions, Theory, Method Method FOREWORD NEW EXPLORATIONS IN CULTURE AND CRIME: DEFINITIONS, THEORY, METHOD . https://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1180&context=facultypub#:~:text=Culture%20influences%20who%20will%20be Press, A. A. (2015, July 14). Australian deported from Abu Dhabi after “writing bad words” on Facebook. The Guardian . https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/15/australian- deported-from-abu-dhabi-after-writing-bad-words-on-facebook

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7 Wiatrowski, M. D., & Swatko, M. K. (1979). Social Control Theory and Delinquency - A Multivariate Test | Office of Justice Programs . Www.ojp.gov . https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/social-control-theory-and- delinquency-multivariate-test Anushree N. Murthy. (2022, June 4). PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR . Brillopedia. https://www.brillopedia.net/post/psychological-theories-and- criminal-behavior Esbensen, F. (1991). Ethical Considerations in Criminal Justice Research | Office of Justice Programs . Www.ojp.gov . https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/ethical- considerations-criminal-justice-research#:~:text=Three%20ethical%20issues%20related %20to Friel, J. (2014). An examination of Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory – student anthology . Wcu.edu; Western Carolina University. https://faculty.wcu.edu/studentanthology/writing- across-western/criminology-and-criminal-justice/47-2/ Agnew, R. (1995). Controlling Delinquency: Recommendations From General Strain Theory (From Crime and Public Policy: Putting Theory to Work, P 43-70, 1995, Hugh D Barlow, ed. - See NCJ-163416) | Office of Justice Programs . Www.ojp.gov . https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/controlling-delinquency- recommendations-general-strain-theory-crime

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