My Friend Dahmer

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider how public discourse around accessing mental health support has changed. How has this discourse changed over time? Do you know of the appropriate phone numbers for mental health support in your community or how to find them?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the role of mental health support systems in their communities. In recent years, accessing mental health resources has become more socially acceptable; however, during the graphic novel’s setting of the late 1970s, mental health support was stigmatized and associated with words like “crazy” that resulted in a Lack of Social Support for Vulnerable Individuals. In the late 19th and early 20th century, people who experienced hallucinations or acted in “unusual” ways were often placed in “asylums” or “mental institutions.” Often, these spaces were poorly funded, patients were mistreated, and experiments were performed on them. There was an association between receiving mental health support and being labeled as “crazy.” During Dahmer’s childhood and adolescence, the people in his life would have most likely held some of these associations. Ensure that students are aware of the relevant mental health support system contact numbers in the area by including it in the Before Reading discussion.

• This article in Forbes Health shares statistics regarding mental health in the US.
• This article by Opencounseling.org explores the history of mental health treatment in the US.

2. During the late 1970s, the US experienced an economic recession that affected populations who depended on the manufacturing sector for employment. How were regions such as the US “Rust Belt” acutely affected by the recession? What were some of the causes and effects of the recession, politically, economically and socially?

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students to the historical context of the novel. Backderf touches on a variety of intersecting themes in his narrative that possibly contributed to the evolution of Dahmer’s path to murder. In particular, Backderf paints the picture of Economic and Social Status of 1970s America as one full of economic and social change, including changes in the “nuclear family” ideal of the mid-20th century, the rise of divorce rates, and the general lack of oversight by parents and public institutions regarding children’s well-being. Combined with his personal mental health struggles, Dahmer’s environment was not supportive to his psychosocial well-being. Although Backderf does not specifically mention Ohio as a “Rust Belt” state, historians have determined that the general decline of manufacturing industries led to unemployment and financial instability for many families in the region.

• Britannica shares the history of this region in the article, “Rust Belt.”
• This article from the New Yorker focuses on the miniseries surrounding Dahmer’s life in Ohio.

Short Activity

Many stories have referred to the 1970s as a decade of increased crime. Working in small groups, research one of the individuals who was notable in the media during the 1970s for their crimes. Consider how their background, as well as how the combination of Lack of Social Support for Vulnerable Individuals and Economic and Social Status of 1970s America, influenced their actions. Share your findings with the class.

Teaching Suggestion: Please note: This Short Activity is designed for students who are interested in researching this material, which includes depictions of graphic violence. For an alternative for students who prefer not to research this content, please see the Differentiation Suggestion.

• This article by United Press International from 1983 argues that the youth during the 1970s committed more violent crimes than in previous decades.
• CNN’s “The Seventies” mini-series dedicates an entire episode to “The Notorious Killers of the 1970s.”

Differentiation Suggestion: For students or classes who may prefer not to work with the potentially distressing topic above, this Short Activity Prompt may be amended to the following questions for an in-class discussion: How was growing up during the 1970s different from today? For example, how would daily life differ from contemporary society? Consider the social, familial and technological differences. Share your thoughts with the class.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Consider the argument, “Nature Versus Nurture.” Is one’s genetics or environment more influential in developing character and personality? Provide examples to substantiate your argument.

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to reflect on one of the central themes of Derf Backderf’s novel: Environment as opposed to genes developing a person. This is a very contentious subject in the field of psychology. Backderf does not reveal what he believes the case with Dahmer is; rather, he provides suggestions and examples of many moments when people could have intervened to help him but decided not to. This Prompt links directly with the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.