PSYCHOANALYTIC MODEL AND VIOLENCE:Defense Mechanism, Rationalization

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Lesson 10

PSYCHOANALYTIC MODEL AND VIOLENCE

Objectives:

To understand the psychoanalytic perspective about rage

To understand the Ego's strategies to reduce conflict between the id and superego

Psychoanalytical Perspective and Rage

"Rage is a feeling/state of intense, severe and extreme anger and provides grounds for many

violent crimes"

What could be the origin of rage? According to Psychoanalytic model the answer may lie in two

different areas. First, when an infant experiences acute pain caused from powerful breaks in the

emotional connection from parent to child, pain caused by mal-parenting is so severe and intense that it

cannot be emotionally or intellectually processed by the innocent child. And other significant reason is

child abuse.

The four main categories of child abuse are:

1. Sexual abuse

2. Emotional abuse: such as intense criticism or humiliation and the effects of shaming

experiences from parents or others

3. Neglect: such as abandonment or long periods of emotional or physical absence

4. Physical violence: such as beating, or imposing physical injury throughout childhood

Let's look at an actual example of a mentally retarded child to understand that how child abuse can

result in rage

Example of a mildly retarded child

A mentally retarded child was sexually abuse by his uncle, uncle threatened him "I will beat you and no

one in family will love you if you conveyed this to any one". But child was shocked and it was hard for

him to digest. So he uncovered the reality to his mother. On the other side mother was under pressure

and could not afford to favor him due to her familial problems, so she betrayed him and asked him to

conceal the truth.

That was not the end of his tragic story; his tragedy was unending as he entered the abnormal

environment of special school. There he faced the bullying of other elder children and painful ignoring

attitude of teachers. He observed all the time that his father is cursing and blaming his mother for giving

birth to mentally retarded child. Another constant torture of his life was pity and sympathy from

relatives. He was considered as shame of family and was hidden in room at guest's visit and was not

allowed to go out side. And if he was given a chance to go out side with a servant, servant also abused

him. Teen age problems became even more critical in the absence of any guidance and friends.

Rejection from girls was another issue.

All these factors created a feeling of being abundant. All people were getting their rights and for him

was just a wish "you had not been born". All this transformed in a high pile of rejection, rage,

disappointment, mistrust, hostility, discrimination, rejection, sadness, loneliness. He was being used as

the psychological "dust bin" of family and all misfortunes were considered the credit of his existence.

When he approached the 22nd year of life, all this resulted in an explosive rage, anger and a serious

criminal act. Once he saw a beautiful child in a park, he advanced his hand to show his tenderness but

the mother of that infant raised a piercing shriek and then the rage explosion resulted and he murdered

that innocent child.

By analyzing this case we can identify following factors that contributed to the detonation of rage

Sexually abused by uncle

Ignoring/ Cover up by mother.

Special school.

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Special school: abnormal behavior.

Bullying by other children.

Father's blaming mother for giving birth to abnormal child

Pity from relatives

Guests, he is hidden.

Shame of the family.

Comparison with others.

Not allowed to go out to play

Sexually abuse by a servant.

Teenage Sexual urges

No guidance

No friends

Rejection by girls

Feelings of being abandoned.

Discrimination

But the question is why he targeted that baby and not mother? Neo- Freudian has simplified the whole

phenomenon as he himself was murdered in the childhood by the cruel behavior of family and society.

Defense Mechanism

Freud also proposed the concept of Defense mechanisms that are unconscious strategies used by the

ego to reduce conflict between the id and superego. For that reason they are more accurately referred to

as ego defense mechanisms. They can thus be categorized as occurring due to the following scenarios:

1. When the id impulses are in conflict with each other;

2. When the id impulses conflict with superego values and beliefs

3. When an external threat is posed to the ego.

Denial

Denial is the defense mechanism in which a person protects oneself from unpleasant reality by

refusing to perceive or face it. Like we frequently observe diabetic patients who close their eyes from

reality, deny the existence of their ailment and keep on eating sweets.

Repression

Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious. Like a traumatized soldier has

no recollection of the details of a close clash with death and Oedipus complex is another example

because the unconscious wish to kill the father is buried.

Suppression

Conversely, Suppression is a conscious effort to push the unwanted thoughts and desires into

unconscious. Like conscious effort to forget the recollections of the destruction of earth quake.

Rationalization

Creating false but plausible excuses to fulfill unjustified justify unacceptable behavior and unconscious

wishes. Rationalization is the cognitive distortion of "the facts" to make an event or an impulse

less threatening. We do it often enough on a fairly conscious level when we provide ourselves with

excuses. But for many people, with sensitive egos, making excuses comes so easy that they never are

truly aware of it. In other words, many of us are quite prepared to believe our lies, e.g. a student watches

TV instead of studying, saying that "additional study wouldn't do any good anyway."

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Projection

Projection is attributing one's own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another, e.g. two cousins are

watching TV, and an actress appears on screen. One says to other "look your favorite one" although that

is his own favorite or a husband, a good and faithful one, finds himself terribly attracted to the charming

and flirtatious lady next door. But rather than acknowledge his own, hardly abnormal, lusts, he becomes

increasingly jealous of his wife, constantly worried about her faithfulness, and so on.

Reaction formation

Reaction formation is behaving in a way that is exactly the opposite of one's true feelings e.g.

the individuals who possess immense sexual thoughts can start "Jihad" against immorality.

Displacement

Is diverting emotional feelings (usually anger) from their original source to a substitute target

e.g. after parental scolding, a young girl takes her anger out on her little brother.

Regression

A reversion to immature patterns of behavior, usually such people are seriously mentally ill and

can not bear the tensions of adult age.

Overcompensation

Covering up felt weaknesses by emphasizing some desirable characteristic, or making up for

frustration in one area by over-gratification in another e.g. A dangerously overweight woman

goes on eating binges when she feels neglected by her husband.

Acting Out

The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by actions rather

than reflections or feelings e.g wildly quarrelling on road with driver, who has hit your car.

Splitting

Splitting as a predominant defense mechanism is used by a large number of people. It is

characterized by viewing people as completely good or evil entirely.

Sublimation

Acting out unacceptable impulses in a socially acceptable way e.g sublimating your aggressive

impulses toward a career as a boxer; becoming a surgeon because of your desire to cut; lifting

weights to release 'pent up' energy.

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