Nurture vs Nature is a long standing debate in science and society about the balance between the two competing factors determining whether its genetics or environment. Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and many other twisted serial killers you may have heard of. Many people know of them and what they did, but what many people question is why? Why did they do what they did, were they born that way or were they made that way? Serial killers are both born and made because both factors of nurture and nature play a big role and impact serial killers later in life. To start off, nature and the biological factors impact serial killers later on in life. It is well known that Jeffery Dahmer's mother was not physically and mentally well when …show more content…
In a research thesis Tamara Higgs did for University of Regis she mentioned, “For those unfortunate children who grow up with abuse and neglect, oftentimes their cries for help are overlooked or ignored… Children whose cries for help are ignored or overlooked will become involved in deviant behavior, and from there they will gradually turn toward more illegal and even deadly activities. This Behavior was particularly evident with Jeffery Dhamer. At the age four, Jeffery Dahmer's father had noticed Jeffery Dahmer had a particularly odd fascination with a pile of bones that had been raked out from under his childhood home. While this odd behavior was noticed, Lionel Dahmner did nothing to deter his son's interest with death, and as a result, his son's interest grew.” (Higgs, 2012). Jeffery Dahmer grew up being neglected by both parents, his parents never gave him or showed him any type of love or affection growing up. His parents eventually split up, he grew up listening to them physically and verbally fight. It is known that the only way that Jeffery bonded with his father is by finding roadkill and taking it home to dissect. His father knew that it was a weird hobby that his son enjoyed but didn't do anything about it because it was the only activity that he and his son bonded over. Jeffery was fascinated with the deceased animals and their anatomy. An article “Jeffery Dahmher: Nature vs. Nurture in Serial Killers” by Ali they analyzed how the two factors differently affect serial killers, how and why they kill. Ali mentioned, “Psychologists believe Dahmer's behavioral patterns as an adult formed during his childhood when he grew up associating death with pleasure. Dahmer described a compulsion he felt from an early age to dissect animals and inflict pain” (Ali, 2023). Jefferys' interest and hobby of dissecting animals grew. His environment