The Killer Clown: John Wayne Gacy, R.

The Killer Clown also known as John Wayne Gacy, Jr. was born on 17 March 1942 in Chicago, Illinois and was the middle child of three. His father John Wayne Gacy Sr. worked as a machinist and his mother Marion Elaine Robinson was a homemaker. Gacy would have a close relationship with both his mother and sisters but a difficult one with his father who was an alcoholic with a violent temper who thought John was a sickly kid and he would often beat him for being weak. In the early years problems started for Gacy while he was just 9 years old, a family friend started molesting him and he was too afraid to tell anyone about it and when he was 11 years old an accident happened while he was out playing on the school playground, Gacy would
Tony would not go to the police because Gacy promised that he would never touch him again and he kept his word. During January 1972 a boy named Timothy was picked up by Gacy at the bus station after Gacy promised him a tour of Chicago and a place to stay for the night. In the morning Gacy noticed that the boy was holding a kitchen knife so Gacy attacked him and Gacy would stab him in the stomach many times and would end up killing him and burying him in the crawl space along with many
I believe that the psychological theory that may explain Gacy’s behavior is the Social Control Theory. This theory was developed by Travis Hirschi in 1969 and under this theory an individual breaks the law due to a breakdown with their societal bond. (Social Control) In this theory Hirschi would break it down to four different categories which are attachment, commitment, involvement and belief, Hirschi believes that when one of these breaks down an individual may then participate in criminal activities. (Social Control) I believe that Gacy had a breakdown in the below societal