The Psychology of Dexter - Bella DePaulo [20]
It could be said with little contention that among serial killers, Dexter is an exception. For a callous, unemotional, cold-blooded killer who is unbridled by society’s code of conduct, Dexter has a scrupulous capacity for fairness. Referred to as the Code of Harry, this is the clear result of nurture. Harry’s rules not only dictate who he can harm, but also how he can harm them. The underlying principles are that no innocent person should be hurt, but if someone is corrupt and must be killed, no evidence should be left behind.
The Code of Harry serves several functions. It protects the innocent and gives Dexter a sense of morality; he knows right from wrong intellectually, even if he cannot feel it emotionally. It also offers Dexter a target for the release of his compulsive violence. Beyond these essential functions, the Code of Harry also teaches Dexter how to appear normal. He brings in donuts to colleagues, smiles in pictures, and volunteers to help out if someone needs assistance. Although he may not experience normal feelings, the set of principles Harry taught him helps him appear normal. As Dexter said, “People fake a lot of human interactions, but I feel like I fake them all, and I fake them very well” (“Dexter,” 1-1).
Part of the challenge in socializing children who inherit a callous temperament—in teaching them proper behavior—lies in their inherent difficulty with developing a conscience, a crucial personality component for engaging in typical pro-social behavior. Unlike most children, callous-unemotional children are unaffected by the distress of others. Because they do not experience the displeasure other children do when watching someone else suffer, it takes more effort for parents to help them learn socially appropriate behavior. Research has suggested that helping these children develop a conscience requires a positive relationship with their parents, one that involves mutual cooperation.10 Harry and Dexter exemplify this, as they worked together to help Dexter come to terms with his violent impulses and blend in with society.
A study of intervention techniques for antisocial behavior found that children who were callous-unemotional did not respond to punishment. To help them improve their conduct, the most effective treatment was to provide positive reinforcement for pro-social behavior. Because these children also tend to be fearless, punishment does not deter them, but they are as sensitive to rewards as other children.11
In school, when Dexter bullied another student, Harry stopped him. Rather than admonishing Dexter for poor behavior, Harry reminded Dexter of the reward for using aggression discreetly. “People remember bullies” (“Let’s Give the Boy a Hand,” 1-4). If Dexter hoped to hide his sinister temperament, he could not torment his peers. Harry acknowledged Dexter’s nature while simultaneously teaching him a more appropriate behavior. This is how Dexter managed to keep his record clean.
While Dexter’s piety to the Code of Harry steers him to pro-social behavior, Brian, who did not receive such tender rearing, unleashed his violence without prudence. He had no guiding figure in his life who took interest in developing his conscience. By the age of eighteen, he had already gotten into trouble, whereas Dexter was becoming increasingly efficient at staying out of trouble. To Brian, all that mattered was following his nature, and any steps he took to stay out of trouble as an adult were because he learned that was the only way he could continue to kill. When Dexter did not want to kill Deb, Brian bellowed at him, “You can’t be a killer and a hero, it doesn’t work that way!” (“Born Free,” 1-12). Brian could not comprehend Dexter’s character because it reflects a nurture he never knew.
Rather than receive positive reinforcement for his good behavior, Brian was punished for his misdeeds and placed in an institution. He never had a constructive outlet for his antisocial behavior. Most