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Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Lesson 09

PSYCHOANALYTIC MODEL AND VIOLENCE

Objectives:

To understand the link of Instincts and violence

To understand the fixation at different psychosexual stages and violence

To understand the link of inflated Id, Ego and Super ego with violence.

Freud's ideas have serious implications for understanding destruction and violence. Let's explore that

what Frued's ideas have to do with violence/aggression and criminal behaviours.

Instincts & Violence

Eros vs. Thanatos

Eros usually commit the crime that involve the acquiring of some thing like theft of any kind, robbery,

some sexual crimes or illegal land occupations e.t.c

Thanatos

Is involved in the crime and violent behaviour where destruction, demolition, devastation and death are

involved. Violent rape is not associated with sexual instincts rather destruction and death wish is

involved in such cases.

Following types of crime usually a result of thanatos:

Destruction of any thing

Murder

Rape

Torture

Terrorism

Suicide

Psychosexual Stages and Violence

Fixations in different stages

Unconscious fixations at different psychosexual stages have serious implications for violent

behavior in later life. Let's see how seed of violence can be planted during psychosexual stages of

development.

Fixation at Oral Stage

If a child was not fed enough/neglected or was fed too much, this may later create an oral fixation in

that adult. It is believed that fixation in the oral stage can cause one of two things.

1. If the child was underfed or neglected, he will become orally dependent, and obsessed with

achieving oral stimulation which he was deprived of.

He might learn to manipulate others to fulfill his needs

rather than maturing to independence.

2. The overly indulged child may resist growing up and

try to return to that state of dependency through

crying; fighting and aggressive behaviour to get some

desirable thing like a child, and an aggressive child in

the adult body can be dreadfully dangerous."

Another fixation at oral stage can result in Narcissism.

Narcissism

The term narcissism means love of oneself. This concept was

also borrowed from Greek mythology. It's about a beautiful

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

prince named Narcissus, who was unaware of his own beauty and doomed to fall in love with his

own reflection in a pool of water. Narcissus died because he could only love his image at the

expense of himself. Now a narcissist can prove to be very violent because they are selfish, lack

empathy for anyone else and only think about personal benefits. Such people can commit any nature

of a crime just to fulfill their own wish and desire.

Fixation at Anal Stage

While struggling with the toilet training, child wants freedom as id is dominant at that age. Anal

fixation, which may be caused by too much punishment during toilet training, has two possible

outcomes.

1. The Anal retentive personality: such people become Obsessive, stingy, with a compulsive

seeking of order and tidiness. The person is generally stubborn and perfectionist.

2. The Anal explosive personality: on other extreme is an opposite of the anal retentive

personality, and has a lack of self control, being generally messy and careless. Expulsive

violent types of people are usually involved in terrorism.

Fixation at Phallic Stage

At the age of 5 or 6, as discussed earlier, boys experience the Oedipus Complex whilst girls experience

the Electra conflict, which is a process through which they learn to identify with the same gender parent

by acting as much like that parent as possible. Going through the process of identification with same sex

parent, child compares the genetals with ht e same sex parent and start feeling

Inferiority

Inadequacy

Adults fixated at phallic stage have trouble in friend making and finding mates so ultimately making a

profile of a person who fits the terrorist's profile and could be an easy prey of those who are going to

brain wash and manipulate people for their own businesses.

Fixation at Genital Stage

At this stage no new problem comes but told problems comes in to front and become apparent. Fixation

at earlier stages along with the lack of guidance leads towards Sexual Violence.

Id And Violence

Inflated Id commits particular type of crimes. More chances are that a person with bloomed Id is fixated

at Oral stage as narcissist are usually dominated by Id. such people get bored if they do not heed their

wishes and impulses. Thrill and pleasure seeking is very important for them like car racings on rush

roads, fast driving and sky diving e.t.c but Id inflated people are not only pleasure seeker but are

irresponsible too. Following characteristics are frequent in individuals with id dominated personality.

Failure to think of consequences

Impulsive behavior.

Inability to empathize with the victim.

Thrill seeking.

Irresponsible behavior.

Superego and Violence

Inflated super ego can result in different aspects:

Crime and Punishment

Super ego may be at the back of crimes that involve the thinking that one must be punish for doing any

thing wrong and undesirable. The idea is that one must be punished for their sins, crimes, mistakes. As

children internalize their parents may personalize their unforgiving attitude. If parents hit/beat them,

they will hit and torture other people and would take revenge.

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Punishing oneself

An individual trying to protect others from violence might predispose oneself to self-injury. Like some

one sacrifice and falsely confesses to protect others is another kind of extreme violence associated with

super ego.

Ego and Violence

Ego usually does not commit crime and a well-developed Ego is the best defense against crime because

logic and reason can prevent self from committing a crime and is aware of consequence. But a

threatened Ego can be very violent and aggressive, e.g. A person was scolded and insulted by his boss

in front of his colleagues. Now ego is threatened and such person can easily target his wife or children

for violence. One other thing linked with bloomed ego is difficulty of absorption of criticism.

Inflated Ego can result in calculated crimes like

Seeking power.

Can help maximize gain and minimize loss

Psychoanalysis and Crime scene investigation

How Id, Ego and super Ego can help in investigating a crime scene? By examine the clues a forensic

psychologist can understand the type of criminal who has committed the crime.

The Id can leave lots of clues, because id does not care about consequences and is irresponsible in

nature, and commits disorganized crimes.

The Superego might leave the clues on crime scene so criminal will get caught.

Sometimes the Ego can also leave clues but investigation of such crimes is relatively difficult.