Psychodynamic

• Psychodynamic Explanation


  Role of the parent-child relationship influences developing criminal personality, alongside unconscious mental processing
• Superego Explanation - Blackburn (1993)

  Morality principle in the phallic stage is deficient, letting the Id free rein to pursue desires

  • Weak Superego - Absence of same sex parent during phallic stage
  • Deviant Superego - Internalised immoral values e.g. raised by a criminal
  • Over-Harsh Superego - Crippled with guilt, driving crime due to the need for punishment
• (+) A03: Recognition


  Recognises emotional factors like anxiety or rejection contributing to criminality; also recognises biology and the effect of childhood on criminality, presenting a more holistic view of criminality
• (-) A03: Gender Bias


  Freud claims women have weaker superegos than men due to not recieving castration anxiety from the oedipus complex, making them more prone to criminality, creating alpha bias; this isn't supported by prison statistics as more men are criminal
• (-) A03: Deterministic


  Little evidence of lack of same sex parent in childhood in criminal adults, contradicting Blackburn's weak superego arguement; similarly, if the child is raised by criminals, may be a genetic or socialisation link, rather than deviant superego