Psychodynamic Explanation

• Freud's psychodynamic approach suggests that the Superego is guided by the morality principle leading to feelings of guilt for wrongdoing.
• Blackburn argued that if the Superego is inadequate (weak, deviant or over-harsh) then the Id (governed by the pleasure principle) is given 'free rein' - an uncontrolled id means that offending behaviour is inevitable.
• Weak Superego

  During the phallic stage the Superego is formed through the resolution of the Oedipus complex (or Electra complex).

  If the same-sex parent is absent during this stage a child cannot internalise a fully-formed Superego as there is no opportunity for identification. This would make offending behaviour more likely.
• Deviant Superego

  A child internalises the same-sex parent's moral attitudes to form their Superego. If these internalised moral attitudes are deviant this would lead to a deviant Superego and to offending behaviour.
• Too harsh Superego

  An excessively punitive or overly harsh parent creates a child who has an over-harsh Superego and the child is crippled by guilt and anxiety. This may (unconsciously) drive the individual to perform criminal acts in order to satisfy the Superego's overwhelming need for punishment.
• The psychodynamic approach deals with the emotional life of the individual and its role in offending, unlike other theories of crime. Emotions (e.g. anxiety) guide moral behaviour.
• Bowlby argued that a warm, continuous relationship with a mother-figure was crucial to future relationships, well-being and development.
• Bowlby argued a loss of attachment in infancy (maternal deprivation) could lead to affectionless psychopathy (lack of empathy and guilt) and increased likelihood of delinquency.
• Bowlby found that 14 of the 44 thieves showed signs of affectionless psychopathy - 12 of these had prolonged separation from their mothers in infancy.

  In a control group, only two 'thieves' had experienced prolonged separation (maternal deprivation).