NCJ Number
52378
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
PSYCHOANALYTIC INSIGHTS INTO HUMAN BEHAVIOR, PARTICULARLY DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, ARE DISCUSSED, AND CRITERIA FOR DECIDING WHEN A PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE SHOULD BE APPLIED IN DEALING WITH OFFENDERS ARE CONSIDERED.
Abstract
THE KEY CONCEPTS IN SIGMUND FREUD'S WORK--NEUROSIS, TRANSFERENCE, PERSONALITY (ID, SUPEREGO, EGO), BASIC DRIVES (PRIMARILY LOVE AND AGGRESSION), THE UNCONSCIOUS--ARE REVIEWED. LINGUISTIC COMPLICATIONS IN UNDERSTANDING FREUD'S IDEAS ARE POINTED OUT. THE WORK OF ANNA FREUD AND HER ASSOCIATES IN THE AREA OF CHILD ANALYSIS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT IS DISCUSSED, WITH REFERENCE TO ITS RELEVANCE IN UNDERSTANDING AND TREATING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. THE CONFUSION BETWEEN THE CLEARLY LEGAL ISSUES OF DELINQUENCY (WHICH BEHAVIOR HAS WHAT CONSEQUENCES UNDER THE LAW) AND THE MEANING OF DELINQUENCY FOR THE DELINQUENT IS POINTED OUT. A HYPOTHETICAL CASE STUDY ILLUSTRATES THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT A DELINQUENT ACT SEEMS TO MEAN AND WHAT IT REALLY MEANS FROM THE ACTOR'S POINT OF VIEW. PSYCHOANALYTIC OBSERVATIONS ON GROUP BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS THAT ENGAGED IN BY JUVENILE GANGS, ARE NOTED. CLUES THAT A PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE IS NEEDED TO DEAL ADEQUATELY WITH A SPECIFIC TYPE OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR OR A SPECIFIC OFFENDER ARE CITED. DISRUPTED EGO DEVELOPMENT IN DELINQUENT YOUTHS IS DISCUSSED, AND THE PROBLEMS THAT EGO DEFICITS POSE FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO CONTROL DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ARE NOTED. SEVERAL STEREOTYPES OF PSYCHOANALYSIS (ALL PROBLEMS MUST BE BLAMED ON PARENTS, TREATMENT MEANS MANY YEARS 'ON THE COUCH' AND IS THEREFORE INAPPROPRIATE FOR MOST DELINQUENTS, PSYCHOANALYSIS IS USEFUL ONLY FOR SICK OFFENDERS, PSYCHOANALYSIS HAS NO BEARING ON PERSONS WHO ARE PRODUCTS OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS, SIGMUND FREUD COULD NOT HAVE ENVISIONED THE PROBLEMS OF UNDERPRIVILEGED AMERICANS, ETC.) ARE ADDRESSED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)