Psychodynamic explanation

• What does this approach suggest ?

  • combines bowls theory of maternal deprivation with freuds personality theory
• What did Blackburn suggest ?

  • the super ego is somehow deficient or inadequate then offending behaviour is inevitable because the if he given free rein and isn’t properly controlled
• What are the 3 types of inadequate super ego ?

  1. The weak/underdeveloped
  2. deviant
  3. over harsh/ over developed
• Weak ?

  • absence of same sex parent means child can’t internalise a fully formed super ego as there is no oppertunity for identification
  • this would make offending behaviour more likely because they have little control over anti social behaviour and is likely to act in ways that gratify their instinctual id impulses
• Deviant ?

  • 8; &!534!-@&:3: :7034 who is based on immoral or deviant value( criminal parent )
  • leads to offending behaviour because the child may not associate wrong doing with guilt
• Overharsh ?

  • internalise superego of a very strict same sex parent means they develop and excessively harsh super ego
  • individual is crippled by guilt and anxiety most of the time behave ant time the person acts on their id impulses they feel bad
  • drive the individual to offend with a wish to be caught to satisfy their super ego
  • overheating need for punishment and reduce their feelings of guilt
• Psychodynamic 


  Freud introduced defence mechanisms where the unconsious protects the ego from trauma

  • displacement
  • sublimation
  • rationalisation
• Displacement ?

  • strong emotion is shifted from the original source to another
• Sublimation ?


  / strong if impulse is expressed in a more socially acceptable way
• Rationalisation ?


  explaining behaviour in a more acceptable way when it’s still negative
• Evaluation?

  1. Little empirical evidence
  2. holistic approach
  3. little evidence
  4. gender bias
• Little empirical evidence ?

  • for concept of super ego, unconsious or defence mechanisms
  • Bowlby research has limitations
• Gender bias. ?


  freud suggest girls develop a weaker super ego due to less pressure to identity with their mothers

  • means their sense of morality is weaker and should be more prone to criminal behaviour
  • but men commit more crime and more men in prison
• Little evidence 


  No evidence to suggest that single parents or lack of same sex parent creates less law abiding children

  • if children do commit crime it could be due to genetics of socialisation rather than weak super ego