Sce1: Psychological Explanation of the Causes of Crime

There have been many approaches taken in attempting to uncover the factors that contribute and influence criminal behavior. Criminological theories aim at determining the social, psychological, and biological factors that influence criminality. Three theories that attempt to investigate that causation of crime and criminal behavior are labeling theories, modern biological theories, and psychoanalytical theory.

Each of these theories had led to many new theories used today, such as the Rational Choice theory, Biosocial and Psychological Theory, Critical Theory, Cultural Deviance Theory, Life Course Theory, and many more. The one thing in common with every theory is that they all explain at least one behavioral factor that leads to crime. Today, all these theories, and more, are researched and taken into account when trying to understand why a criminal does what they do.

The psychological theories of criminal behavior focus on the lack of socialization, incomplete cognitive development, and bad childhood experiences. Those who study psychological theories believe that failures in cognitive development can be a major factor in malfunctioning behavior. These criminals have difficulty controlling anger and containing violence, which causes them to lash out. The results of these episodes are murder, rape, robbery, assault, and battery. Many more crimes can come about from such behavior, especially when the criminal falls into a negative cycle. Their behavior spirals out of their control, as they try to solve each of their crimes by committing another, to try and right the situation.

In the psychological lens, the brain is separated into three different parts. The three parts are the superego, the ego, and the id. The superego is the way society expects you to react to different problems and situations. The ego is the conscious decisions that you make. The id is your unconscious desires.

The three components of Id, ego and superego compiled together form the basis of intricate human behaviour. The Id according to Freud “is the source of all psychic energy,” ultimately this aspect is your instinctive and primitive behaviours. The desire for your wants and needs embraced from birth till death. The ego understands the prospects of reality and the social influences. Evaluating the desires by weighing the risks and rewards of the decisions before acting on impulse.

According to Freud, this is the only aspect of your personality that you are born with. Freud suggests that this component of the personality is controlled completely in the unconscious and focuses on providing the body with basic needs or even the love or sex drive. For example, when one is thirsty, one will want to get a glass of water, if one is hungry one will want to get something to eat, or if one wants sexual encounter, one will want to seek that out as well. So all in all, the Id acts according to the pleasure principal, which is the idea that needs should be met as soon as possible. The Id powers the individual and their desire to fulfill those needs to produce pleasure and/or

Id is the feeling of self will that is charge of pleasure, and sexual feelings. The id, ego is a working machine that is searching for pleasure, and keeping away from the agony department. This is the piece of the brain that measures the irrational, and passionate state. The principle concerns of the id, is the inner self, and meeting its needs. "I need what I need".

The following essay will outline and discuss the various theories used by psychologists to explain criminal behaviour. According to White and Haines 2008 crime was seen as the result of externally caused biological problems or internal psychological factors that were treatable. They believe the criminal was made, not born. Psychological theories tend to focus on how characteristics of an individual lead to criminal behaviour, however these theories may also be irrelevant, challenge existing thinking and make people and institutions think.

Freuds—thought the ego was the surface of the personality, the part you usually show the world. The ego is governed by the 'reality principle', or a practical approach to the world.

The id, is the "I want to do that now!" part. This part is the unconscious, largest portion of the mind and very much concerned with immediate satisfaction of basic physical needs and urges. The id contains

The psychological perspective is that criminal behavior was not a conscious choice but a culmination of underlining subconscious admirations. Introduced by Sigmund Freud, the three major attributing factors are the superego, the moral and values system; the ego, the rational mind; and the id, the unconscious desires and conflicts. A sociological perspective focus on the social environment of humans and the link to criminality. Social interaction, expectations, peer pressure, and even home environment play a role in criminal behavior.

53-54). I believe the benefits for criminal justice professionals studying psychological theories help see people in different views, to better understand the world in which we live, and make communities safer. Therefore, when analyzing psychological theories, you learn the failures in psychological development, learned behaviors of aggression and violence, inherent personality traits, and the relationship of criminality to mental illness. (Boyd, 2017) The psychology theories allow criminal justice professionals to understand more about how the body and mind work together. The psychology theories help to identify personality traits that are linked to aggressive criminal behavior. The psychology theories clarify that crime may be understood as a means by which individuals satisfy their basic human needs. Therefore, criminal justice professionals can benefit from being able to read criminals, second guess them and steer their thought patterns in the different direction towards a better

the id. But then contact with that child and the outside world modifies the id.

Fast forwarding to many years ahead criminologists then have expanded on compounded, and developed new ideas as to why people commit crime which include theories that point the finger to the main three biological, psychological, and sociological. Sigmund Freud established a well-known psychoanalytic theory which were based solely on personality defects which then claimed that crime was caused by improper development during their early years.

The word ‘id’ is a latin word meaning ‘it’. It is the unorganized part of the personality structure of a person that comprises of impulsive, basic, instinctual drives of a human being. It is the child – like portion of the mind. Of all the three components, id is the only component that is present from birth. Hence it represents bodily needs, wants, desires and impulses that do not care about the demands/expectations of reality and without any accordance to what is right or wrong. According to Freud, id is the unconscious part of the human mind seeking pleasure.