The Effects of Childhood Neglect — Did Jeffrey Dahmer's Parents Fail Him?

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Many believe that his parents' neglectful upbringing helped make him into the prolific serial killer we know today.

Image of Jeffrey Dahmer with his mother Joyce and little brother David from JSOnline

The other night my husband and I watched the final episode of the Dahmer series on Netflix, which was highly unsettling. I am a Milwaukee native who used to live in the same apartment building as Dahmer. However, I was only a toddler, so I learned everything via my mom's stories. I firmly believe that living there made my mom obsessed with understanding how the mind of someone such as Dahmer works. This would later pass on to me.

Over the years, I would find myself watching countless documentaries on serial killers.

I wanted to understand what could trigger someone to do such horrific things, and Dahmer seemed like the perfect case study. As I learned more about him, I couldn't help but feel empathy for him. In the series (and in real life), it is clear that his parents didn't have a clue how to deal with him. He was timid and withdrawn, and they had no idea how to help him. As depicted on the show, his mom was a stay-at-home mom with many issues, and his dad worked long hours.

They were both well-meaning, but they didn't have the parenting skills to deal with Dahmer.

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Natasha Lettner: Mental Health & Divine Feminine
I, Mother.

Wife, mother, and seasoned wordsmith published in esteemed outlets, specializing in Mental Health, Parenting, Relationships, and the Divine Feminine.