Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, more infamously known as the “Milwaukee Cannibal”, is considered one of the America’s most notorious lust serial killers. Dahmer spent over a decade terrorizing the city of Milwaukee with his horrendous killings. Because of the torturous manner in which he committed his murders, Dahmer landed himself a spot at the highest level on Dr. Michael Stone’s Gradations of Evil Scale ("On The Scale of Evil, Where do Murderers Rate?", n.d.). He not only murdered 17 men, but also engaged in necrophilia, cannibalism, and zombieism after drugging, molesting, and strangling the men to death (“Jeffrey Dahmer Biography”, n.d.). Though the crux of his killings occurred during the 1980s, Dahmer claims that his urges to kill and fantasies
…show more content…
The Trauma-Control Model highlights that trauma event(s) can lead to low self-esteem fantasies that have the potential to becoming violent fantasies. Traumas that occur in childhood seem to have the greatest effect on people because ones first few years of life are especially formative. A child may take a traumatic event and internalize feelings of guilt, shame, and inadequacy (Hickey, 2016). Hickey makes clear the correlation between traumatic life events and dissociation. Often times, people dissociate themselves from a traumatic event as a means to cope with the pain associated with that event and attempt to maintain control (Hickey, 2016). Hickey notes that facilitators may be present in a serial killer’s life that make both low self-esteem and violent fantasies more likely to occur. Facilitators include things like alcohol/drug consumption and viewing violent pornography. While facilitators are not required for a person to become a serial killer, it definitely heightens the possibility of acting on violent behaviors. Lastly, trauma reinforcement(s) are another way to increase the likelihood of fantasies becoming realities. These reinforcements are more deeply rooted than the facilitators and include things such as failed relationships, whether with family or peers (Hickey,
The Trauma-Control Model highlights that trauma event(s) can lead to low self-esteem fantasies that have the potential to becoming violent fantasies. Traumas that occur in childhood seem to have the greatest effect on people because ones first few years of life are especially formative. A child may take a traumatic event and internalize feelings of guilt, shame, and inadequacy (Hickey, 2016). Hickey makes clear the correlation between traumatic life events and dissociation. Often times, people dissociate themselves from a traumatic event as a means to cope with the pain associated with that event and attempt to maintain control (Hickey, 2016). Hickey notes that facilitators may be present in a serial killer’s life that make both low self-esteem and violent fantasies more likely to occur. Facilitators include things like alcohol/drug consumption and viewing violent pornography. While facilitators are not required for a person to become a serial killer, it definitely heightens the possibility of acting on violent behaviors. Lastly, trauma reinforcement(s) are another way to increase the likelihood of fantasies becoming realities. These reinforcements are more deeply rooted than the facilitators and include things such as failed relationships, whether with family or peers (Hickey,