Sexual and Gender Identity Disorder
Sexual and Gender Identity Disorder
Cynthia Durham
Psy/410
Nyiema Carter
University of Phoenix
”Jeffrey Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960. During most of his childhood, he lived on an estate in a wealthy suburb of Akron, Ohio. His father is a successful research chemist, and, consistent with that calling, now blames his son’s aberrant behavior on the effects of medication Jeffrey’s mother took during pregnancy. In the first grade, when his younger brother was born, Dahmer’s teacher wrote a note to his parents saying that their son acted as though he felt neglected. Although Dahmer was not physically or sexually abused, he remembered his home as constantly filled with tension because of his parents’ continuous fighting. Dahmer reported feeling guilty for being born because his mother told him she had serious postpartum depression and a nervous breakdown after his birth. There were reports of peculiar things Dahmer did as a child. For example, his neighbors reported that he had a fascination with dead insects and animals, and his friends said he repeatedly listened to their hearts with his head on their chests. Dahmer collected animals that had been killed by cars, cut off their heads, and placed them on sticks. He also removed and dried out their skin. There were several experiences in Dahmer’s early life that suggested indifference to other’s suffering. (Hansell, & Damour 2008).” Dahmer’s behavior progressed, he begin to enjoy seeing pain in humans. He convinced a friend of his that a wasp nest was full of lady bugs and told him to put his hand in it and touch them. Dahmer also suffered from rejection. He gave one of his teachers some tadpoles and she gave them to a friend of his. Dahmer got anger and killed the tadpoles. This too could be from the medication his mother took while she was pregnant with him. Although Dahmer was beginning to enjoy seeing others hurt, he still had a fantasy with dead animals. In his early teen years Dahmer enjoyed
Cynthia Durham
Psy/410
Nyiema Carter
University of Phoenix
”Jeffrey Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960. During most of his childhood, he lived on an estate in a wealthy suburb of Akron, Ohio. His father is a successful research chemist, and, consistent with that calling, now blames his son’s aberrant behavior on the effects of medication Jeffrey’s mother took during pregnancy. In the first grade, when his younger brother was born, Dahmer’s teacher wrote a note to his parents saying that their son acted as though he felt neglected. Although Dahmer was not physically or sexually abused, he remembered his home as constantly filled with tension because of his parents’ continuous fighting. Dahmer reported feeling guilty for being born because his mother told him she had serious postpartum depression and a nervous breakdown after his birth. There were reports of peculiar things Dahmer did as a child. For example, his neighbors reported that he had a fascination with dead insects and animals, and his friends said he repeatedly listened to their hearts with his head on their chests. Dahmer collected animals that had been killed by cars, cut off their heads, and placed them on sticks. He also removed and dried out their skin. There were several experiences in Dahmer’s early life that suggested indifference to other’s suffering. (Hansell, & Damour 2008).” Dahmer’s behavior progressed, he begin to enjoy seeing pain in humans. He convinced a friend of his that a wasp nest was full of lady bugs and told him to put his hand in it and touch them. Dahmer also suffered from rejection. He gave one of his teachers some tadpoles and she gave them to a friend of his. Dahmer got anger and killed the tadpoles. This too could be from the medication his mother took while she was pregnant with him. Although Dahmer was beginning to enjoy seeing others hurt, he still had a fantasy with dead animals. In his early teen years Dahmer enjoyed