psychodynamic explanation Flashcards
psychodynamic explanation
unconscious conflicts, rooted in early childhood and determined by interactions with parents, drive criminal behaviour
The superego is formed at the end of the phallic stage of development. IT works on the morality principle and exerts its influence by punishing the ego through guilt for wrongdoing, whilst rewarding it with pride for moral behaviour. Blackburn argued that if the superego is somehow deficient or inadequate then criminal behaviour is inevitable bc the id is given ‘free rein’ and not properly controlled. 3 types of inadequate superefo have been proposed:
the weak superego - if the same-sex parent is absent during the phallic stage, the child cannot internalise a fully-formed superego as there is no opportunity for identification. This would make criminal behaviour more likely
the deviant superego-if the superego that the child internalises has immoral or deviant values this would lead to offending behaviour e.g a boy who is raised by a criminal father is not likely to associate guilt with wrongdoing
the over-harsh superego an overly harsh superego means the individual is crippled by guilt and anxiety. this may drive the individual to perform criminal acts in order to satisfy the superego’s overwhelming need for punishment.
the maternal deprivation theory
Bowlby argued that the ability to form meaningful relationships in adulthood was dependent upon the child forming a warm,continuous rs with their mother. The maternal bond was seen by Bowlby as unique, superior to any other, and vital to the child’s well-being and development. Failure to establish a bond during the first few years of life meas the child will experience a number of damaging and irreversible consequences in life. One of these is the development of a particular personality type known as affectionless psychopathy, characterised by lack of guilt, empathy and feelings for others. Such maternally deprived individuals are likely to engage in acts of delinquency and cannot develop close relationships with others.
44 juvenile thieves Bowlby
Bowlby found through interviews with the thieves and their families, that 14 of the sample he studied showed personality and behavioural characteristics that can be classified as ‘affectionless psychopathy’. Of this 14, 12 had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers during infancy . In a non-criminal group , only 2 had experienced similar early separation. Bowlby concluded that the effects of maternal deprivation had caused affectionless and delinquent behaviour among the juveniles.
