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Psychoanalytic Theory
- Psychoanalytic theory of crime was based on the work of Sigmund Freud. Freud developed a theory of personality development that was known as psychosexual development. In his theory the mind consisted of three main structures, the Id, Ego,and Superego. Freud felt that most deviant behavior was the result of the ego and superego not developing normally. The cause of these psychic structures not developing normally found in traumatic events in a childs life that would interfere with the stages of psychosexual development
- The Id was that part of the mind that a person is born with. It is characterized by aggressive self-centered impulses. These impulses demand to be gratified and a baby or young child will have difficulty delaying this gratification.
- The Ego was the mechanisim that the mind used to mediate betrween the demands of the id and the demands that the childs enviroment placed on the developing child. To be able to balance these two demands the child had to learn how to delay gratification and begin to understand the "rules" of where she or he might live.
- The Superego was the psychic structure that allowed the developing child to learn the difference between right and wrong. This was accomplished through the child identification with the parents superego. This was thought to be completed by the time the child turn age six.
- As the child went through the stages of psychosexual development the child would eventually end up with an internalized sense of right and wrong. On the other hand truama of some type might prevent the child from developing a complete superego. This would lead to difficulty with understanding right and wrong and issues of morality.
- Freud thought of the person who did not have a fully formed superego as suffering from a type of personality disorder known as the sociopathic personality. He felt this person would be predisposed to commit crimes.
- The stages of psychosexual development according to freud are:
- Oral Stage- here the child's internal motivations (demands) focus on the mouth and eating. This stage is primary durint th first year of life.
- The Anal Stage the child discovers thier own body and the abilty to control thier own muscles. This stage corresponds to what is known as th toddler stage, ages 1-3.
- Phallic Stage- the child discovers the power of relationships and is motivated out of a sense of love for the parent of the opposite sex. This follows the age of 4 or 5.
- Latency Stage- the child focuses on learning social skills in relation to persons of the same sex. This stage usually lasts from age 6 to age 12.
- Genital Stage- this stage corresponds with adolescents and is brought on by the advent of puberty. This stage of development focuses on the relationship with the opposite sex.
- The basic point of psychoanalytic theory and crime is the fact that most crime was committed by persons with a "primitive" superego which came from unresolved trauma during the phallic stage.