Sigmund Freud's Psychodynamic Theory and Crime

Freud’s most known theories involve what he describes as, the id, the ego and the super-ego . His theory is that a person’s psyche is split up between these three parts, in most people there is a healthy balance between the three parts, but in people such as murderers there is imbal-ance between the parts, with might cause them to not

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.

The psychological positivism theory concentrates on all of the mental aspects of why an individual commits a crime, and associates it with their intelligence, personality, learning, and criminal behaviour. It looks at the determinations, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals and all that contributes in the criminal behaviour. Explanations of criminal behaviour were explained by looking at the work of Sigmund Freud (1956-1939). He established the psychoanalytical model in which he believed that a human progresses, early in life. Freud discusses that the human personality has three sets of interacting forces. These include the id, the ego and the superego. These are three components in a human personality that pledge them to behave in the manner they do and make individuals they are. Firstly Freud believes that humans are born with their id. He suggests that the id holds importance for personality. The id allows a new-born to get its desires met by crying. Freud mentions that the id is set on getting pleasure and the id wants whatever feels good despite the circumstances. In addition to this Freud had mentioned the second component of the personality develops. This is known as the ego, it understands feeling and emotions of others and takes them into account. Freud then suggest that the ego meets the needs of the id, at the same time looking at the reality of the condition. Lastly Freud mentions that when a child is five the development of the third personality

The psychodynamic theory would explain an individual’s personality in terms of conscious and unconscious forces, such as unconscious desires and beliefs. In the early 20th century, Sigmund Freud proposed the psychodynamic theory consists of the id (accountable for instincts and pleasure-seeking), the superego (attempts to submit to the rules of parents and society), and the ego (which facilitates between the id and superego according to the stresses of reality) (Cherry, n.d.). Psychodynamic theories believe childhood experiences shape a person’s personality.

(Torrence, 2016) "The psychological theory uses the biology of the brain to explain the intelligence, in large measures, which determines an individual’s ability to control or restrain their impulses; therefore, most crime is caused by individuals unable to control their impulses" (Bohm & Vogel, 2011, p. 53). The psychological theory assumes that crimes are the result of abnormal, dysfunctional, or inappropriate mental processes within the personality of the individual. (Seiken, 2016) "Therefore, it is believed that criminal behavior may be purposeful for the individual because it addresses individual felt needs" (Torrence, 2016, para. 27).

The psychological theory of crime is discussed by Criminal-Justice (N.D.) in the article “Psychological Theories of Crime”.

Biological and psychological theories of crime are still unable to explain a wide range of crimes.

As a child, my curiosity with psychology was founded heavily in the area of forensic psychology as I would often sit with my mother as she watched shows including Columbo and Law and Order. As I grew older and gained a greater understanding of what was occurring in these shows, I began to frame my own questions including the incentives that encourage people to commit crimes - crimes that could change the course of their own and other’s lives and, the interaction between extraneous influences such as the familial attachments and remote factors including biological predispositions.

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.

There is great debate over the reasons why people are driven to commit a crime. Numerous theories have been developed to attempt to explain the motives that cause people to act out against family or even strangers. There is particular attention given to the motivating factors to those who chose to commit mass murders in the country because of the great media attention given to them. For example, school shootings are covered extensively in the media and tend to be more well-known compared to a simple bank robbery, assault, etc. Thus, experts and everyday citizens tend to have an interest in the psychological state of the shooter at the time of the crime and what caused him/her to act out in such a way. One example of this is found in the Sandy

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.

Human nature is very peculiar and different based on a multitude of reasons ranging from the atmosphere in which they are raised in or even psychological troubles that can affect their day to day living. A child raised with an abrupt childhood and a child raised in a well-educated family are both likely to become future incarcerated individuals due to deviant behavior. Genetics has no role in determining criminality however social interaction with the world and individuals can be a leading factor in a person’s criminogenic nature. Crime within the world is indeed prevalent everywhere and is just as common as it was in the Victorian or Egyptian era. However, to prevent the expansion of a broad and wide topic, this essay will stay microscopic and study the comprehension of Edwin Sutherlands “Differential Association theory” and Gresham Sykes and David Matza’s “Techniques of Neutralization”. Various sources and scholarly written articles alongside Barry Cartwright’s text-reader “Sociological Approach to Crime and Deviance” will be used to support the key responses to specified questions on the main topic.

In psychology, a psychodynamic theory is a view that explains personality in terms of conscious and unconscious forces, such as unconscious desires and beliefs. In the early 20th century, Sigmund Freud proposed a psychodynamic theory according to which personality consists of the id, the superego, and the ego. The id is responsible for a person’s instincts and pleasure seeking, the superego attempts to obey the rules of authority and society, and the ego mediates between the two to meet the demands of reality and what a person needs. Psychodynamic theories commonly hold that childhood experiences shape personality. Such theories are associated with psychoanalysis, a type of therapy that attempts to reveal unconscious thoughts and desires. The aim of psychoanalysis therapy is to release represses emotions and experiences and to help the patient develop insight into his or her unconscious. Patients may suppress their vulnerabilities, motives, tensions, impulses, guilt, fantasies, and urges. Freud believed that individuals must unravel, experience, and understand their true, unconscious feelings to understand them. Classical psychoanalysis has become the least commonly practices form of psychodynamic therapy because of its intense demands on the patients’ time and emotions. It is, however, the oldest form of psychodynamic therapy. Psychoanalysis is not usually considered useful for patients suffering from severe depression or psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, people

Psychodynamic hypothesis, a hypothesis of identity started by Sigmund Freud (writing between the 1890s and the 1930s), has a long and complex history in social work. The youthful calling's want for a logical base, Mary Richmond's decision on a therapeutic model to survey and treat customer issues, and the wide effect of Freud's thoughts on the pop culture, added to the most noticeable part of psychodynamic thought in the hypothesis base of social work (Germain, 1970; Greene and Ephross, 1991). The hypothesis supporting psychodynamic therapy began in and is educated by psychoanalytic hypothesis. There are four noteworthy schools of psychoanalytic hypothesis, each of which has affected psychodynamic therapy. The four schools are: Freudian, Ego Psychology, Object Relations, and Self Psychology. Freudian brain science depends on the hypotheses initially figured by Sigmund Freud in the early piece of this century and is some of the time alluded to as the drive or auxiliary model. The substance of Freud's hypothesis is that sexual and forceful energies starting in the id (or oblivious) are regulated by the personality, which is an arrangement of capacities that conservatives between the id and outer reality. Barrier components are developments of the sense of self that work to limit torment and to keep up the mystic balance. The superego, shaped amid inertness (between age 5 and adolescence), works to control id drives through blame (Messer and Warren, 1995). Sense of self

There are many theories in Criminology that provide answers to the questions criminologists have asked over the years. There are three in particular that have to do with the individual or criminal. Classical theory, biological theory, and psychological theory all look at what would make an individual commit a crime. For this paper I have chosen to look at classical theory and how it is shown in the first episode of the TV crime drama Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad first aired on AMC on January 20th, 2008, and lasted five years; ending on September 29th, 2013. It shows the life of Walter White a high school chemistry teacher, who starts cooking crystal meth to pay for his treatments for his recently diagnosed lung cancer. Walt has a wife Skyler, a teenage son named Walter Jr., and a baby girl named Holly.