Psychoanalysis

• Freud's theory of personality highlights the unconscious conflicts between the id (instincts) and the superego (conscience). It sees a weak superego as a cause of criminality
• Freud tried to bring these unconscious conflicts into the conscious mind through hypnosis and free association.
• Aichorn applied psychoanalytic ideas to policies for treating young offenders. Because of uncaring or absent parents they failed to develop loving relationships. Aichorn provided Happy and pleasant environment that would make development of the superego possible.
• Psychoanalysis does not seem very effective, Eysenck found that only 44% of patients who had psychoanalysis shown improvement against 72% treated by the hospitals. If psychoanalysis doesn't work for neurosis then it seems unlikely to work for criminals.