John Wayne Gacy, like approximately 80% of twenty-one year olds that were abused as children, met criteria for at least one psychological disorder. These disorders include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), personality disorder, schizophrenia, substance/alcohol use disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, etc.
Growing up, John was abused by his alcoholic father. John Wayne Gacy turned out to become one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history. His killing spree (1972-1978) took the lives of 33 innocent boys/young men. 8 of those 33 murders remain unidentified. When arrested, Gacy told police, “There are four Johns.” each of which held a different occupation and had a different personality, indicating multiple personality disorder (Blanco).
It came to the polices’ attention that human remains were found in his crawl space, Gacy was arrested. John confessed to the murder of 25 to 30 murders. In 1980, Gacy was charged with 33 murders. It took the jury less than two hours to find Gacy guilty of all 33 charges. The prosecution then argued for a death sentence. The jury came back with twelve counts of murder upon which the prosecution had sought this penalty (Sullian & Maiken, 1983).
As the number of children reportedly abused increases each year, the number of children who grow up mentally unstable, or engage in criminal behavior, corresponds. It is hypothesized that one who experiences abuse as a child is more likely to be associated with criminal behavior in his/her future.
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Violent Upbringing = Violent Future?! 