Psychoanalytical Theory

Authors Avatar

                Psychoanalytical Theory

        Criminology

Psychoanalytical Theory

Jessica Komperda

Dr. Craig

Criminal Justice 242

December 8, 2003

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was the first person to initiate the thought of psychoanalysis. According to Friedlander (1947), classical Freudian psychoanalytic explanations of delinquency focus on abnormalities or disturbances in the individual’s emotional development from early childhood. Since then many people have amended his original writings and presently there are numerous versions Freud’s original psychoanalytical theory. Many of these recent versions are similar to the original version with the exception that they are updated to current times. Few new models are extremely different from Freud’s theory.

Adler, Mueller, and Laufer (2004) describe the psychoanalytical theory as follows: “In criminology, a theory of criminality that attributes delinquent and criminal behavior to a conscience that is either so overbearing that it arouses excessive feelings of guilt or so weak that it cannot control the individual’s impulses” (p. G-6). Freud stated in the text “The Ego and the Id” (1961) that

it was a surprise to find that an increase in the Ucs. sense of guilt can turn people into criminals. But it is undoubtedly a fact. In many criminals, especially youthful ones, it is possible to detect a very powerful sense of guilt which exists before the crime, and is therefore not its result but its motive. It is as if it was a relief to be able to fasten this unconscious sense of guilt on to something real and immediate (p.52).

The psychoanalytic mind feels the need for immediate gratification. People of this type have feelings so strong that no matter what the consequences of their actions maybe, they feel a need to satisfy them. They will go to any means to fulfill this need for gratification. “Most analysts view delinquents as children unable to give up their desires for instant pleasure” (Adler, Mueller & Laufer, 2004, p. 86). The psychoanalytical theory focuses on the development of personality, the stages of development and the emotional problems reflecting some unconscious aspects of one’s psychological functioning. Adler, Mueller, and Laufer (2004) base this theory on three principles. First, “The actions and behavior of an adult are understood in terms of childhood development.” Second, “Behavior and unconscious motives are intertwined, and their interaction must be unraveled if we are to understand criminality.” Third, “Criminality is essentially a representation of psychological conflict” (p. 86).

Freud believes that criminality has a lot to do with the structural model of the mind. He breaks the mind down into three categories; the Id, Ego, and the Superego. “The Id is the unconscious seat of irrational, antisocial, and instinctual impulses which must be controlled and shaped for social adaptation to life in society” (Akers, 1999, p. 50). When newborn babies are born, they have biological drives that are unaffected by society. The Id can be considered the instructional forces, which focuses around sexual desires or drives. This is now the time when the infant knows nothing but the pleasure principle and when tension gets high it will only behave according to the pleasure it desires. The infant, at this point is very self absorbed. The Id is uncontrolled until the child is about three years old. At that point the Ego starts to take over the Id and is attempting to shape the child’s life to fit in with society (Gibbons, 1977).

Join now!

The Ego is rational and conscious. When the Ego begins to develop, the infant is not so self-absorbed any more. It becomes aware of itself and views itself as a part of society. The Ego involves reality. It is now that the child is aware of its environment and begins to adapt to society. According to Gibbons (1977), “The Ego represents that outgrowth of the Id which adapts the instinctual urges to one another and to the demands of reality” (p. 161). It is the Ego that allows the child to commit an act or not. Here, the reality principle ...

This is a preview of the whole essay