THE PORTRAYAL OF JEFFREY DAHMER’S PSYCHOPATY AS SEEN IN DAHMER MONSTER: THE JEFFREY DAHMER STORY SERIES

This research analyzes the portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer‘s psychopathy as represented in the Netflix series Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The study applies a qualitative descriptive method using Robert D. Hare‘s theory of psychopathy to identify both symptoms and causes of Dahmer‘s psychological condition. The findings reveal that Dahmer demonstrates emotional and interpersonal traits such as glibness, superficial charm, egocentrism, deceitfulness, manipulation, shallow emotions, lack of empathy, and lack of remorse. Additionally, lifestyle symptoms including impulsivity, poor behavioral control, irresponsibility, and a constant need for excitement further reinforce his psychopathic profile. The causes of these traits are largely associated with nurture factors, particularly Dahmer‘s unstable family environment, emotional neglect, parental conflict, rejection, and social alienation during his formative years. The series illustrates how these environmental influences, combined with Dahmer‘s personality traits, contribute to his antisocial and destructive behavior. This study contributes to the psychology of literature by providing insights into how psychopathy is depicted in film and television, thereby enriching discussions of character development, narrative representation, and media portrayals of mental illness and crime.