Police Officers: Recognizing Signs of Serial Killers - Essay Sample

Introduction

As police officers, it is believable that you have encountered various types of criminals in your lifetime. Also, most of you have come across a serial killer or heard about a serial killer at least once in your lifetime. As police officers, it is important to know signs to look out for when dealing with serial killers. It is significant for you to comprehend learning theories because it would help in understanding the motivation of serial killers. Additionally, the identification of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards of serial killers is vital because police officers will manage to understand the minds of serial killers. One of the infamous serious killers is Jeffery Dahmer. Dahmer was one of the most known serial killers who terrorized residents of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the late eighties and early nineties. His murders, sexual in nature, were brutal and shocking. Dahmer would also eat some of his victims and kept memories of the in the form of photographs, skulls, and skeletons. In this handout, I will discuss the identification of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards in Dahmer's behavior and the application of theory-based motivation. I will incorporate the behaviorism and cognitive learning theories to explain Jeffery Dahmer. at the end of this handout, you will be able to understand the mind of a serial killer.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards in Dahmer's Behaviors

Intrinsic Rewards

One of Dahmer's intrinsic rewards was his pleasures (Jentzen, 2017). Dahmer was obsessed with his egoistic desires. He wanted to have sex with his victims and find sexual gratification without satisfying the other person (Jentzen, 2017).

Extrinsic Rewards

Dahmer's extrinsic reward was power and control. He drugged his victims to make them powerless for him to have control over them (Jentzen, 2017). Dahmer's motivation was to know that he had control over his victims and that he could do as pleased with them (Jentzen, 2017).

Jeffery Dahmer's Behavior and the Application of Theory-based Motivation

Here, the analysis will examine Dahmer's unconscious motivations and attachment deficiency. The author's explanations describe Dahmer's motivations to kill. Through his childhood and affective life, Jeffery felt rejected, abandoned, and had numerous relationship break-ups (Serial Killer Lab, 2013). His constant frustrations in life and the need for love made him become aggressive. Jeffery began to develop self-hate. In his book, A father's Story, Lionel Dahmer, Jeffery Dahmer's father, affirmed that at the as Jeffery began to develop his fantasy, he would also begin to be more shy, more introvert, and would show a lack of confidence as well as self-esteem (Dahmer, 1994). Moreover, it is at the same time that Jeffrey discovered he was attracted by men (Dahmer, 1994). The behaviors exhibited by Dahmer as a child affected his personality. Such a life leads to non-construction. In Dahmer's scenario, his childhood experiences led to the destruction of his image.

Behaviorism and Cognitive Learning Theories

Behaviorism

Throughout high school, Dahmer spent a lot of his time trying to get his peers' attention by looking for affection and recognition (Giannetakis, 2017). He gained affection and recognition by identifying himself as fictional characters that are strong, dominant, and have the power of control (Giannetakis, 2017). Additionally, he began going to gay locations to find groups (Giannetakis, 2017). He avoided social contacts, and even start to drug his partners in the saunas (Giannetakis, 2017). Undoubtedly, up to that point, Dahmer had already begun to dehumanize his victims, considering them objects for his sexual pleasures.

Cognitive Learning Theories

Based on his behavior, it is determined that Jeffery presented a personality that includes the following,

Paranoiac - Dahmer's paranoia was strong to an extent it affected his life. He spent a lot of money installing a camera system and additional locks in his apartment to prevent anyone from entering (Serial Killer Lab, 2013). Also, he had a fake video system that he pretended would turn on immediately a person stood at the front door (Serial Killer Lab, 2013). Additionally, when he went home with his victims, he was careful to ensure he did not attract any attention (Serial Killer Lab, 2013).

Passive Aggression - in the court testimony, Tracy Edwards stated that Dahmer seemed like a person who had multiple personalities (Serial Killer Lab, 2013). According to Edwards, Dahmer was good for one minute and became aggressive in a split second (Serial Killer Lab, 2013).

Narcissistic - Daher was egoistic as he only cared about his sexual gratification more than the lives and safety of his victims (Serial Killer Lab, 2013). He considered his victims as objects who would only give him pleasure (Serial Killer Lab, 2013).

Conclusion

As police officers, it is important to work in liaison with psychiatrists and psychologists to identify the traits and risk factors of serial killers. The evaluation of Jeffery Dahmer's cognitive capabilities gave insights into the motivation of serial killers. In your approach with the serial killers, it is important for you as police officers to apply learning theories as well as examine the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards of the criminals to gain a better understanding of the reason they behave in that manner. Overall, since police officers handle serial killers, law enforcement agencies need to push for future research on the psychology of serial killers.

References

Dahmer, L. (1994). A father's story. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.

Jentzen, J. (2017). Micro Disasters: The Case of Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Academic Forensic psychology 7(3), pp.444-452. doi: 10.23907/2017.037

Giannetakis, P. (2017). Behavioral Patterns and Genesis of a Polymorphous Paraphilic Serial Killer. Journal of Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation 6(1). doi: 10.19080/JFSCI.2017.06.555683

Serial Killer Lab. (2013). Jeffery Dahmer: Criminal Motivations. Retrieved from http://serialkillerlab.blogspot.com/2013/04/jeffrey-dahmer-criminal-motivations.html