Individualistic theories

Question 1

Freud’s theory

Answer 1

Psychodynamic
He suggested that criminality was linked to unresolved guilt experienced in childhood.
He developed three structures of the mind:
The Id-wants instant gratification, the uncontrollable side, referred to as the “I want”.
The ego- Rational part of the mind, helps the Id gets what it wants in a rational way.
The superego- Your “conscience”, your moral compass
If your superego doesn’t develop properly because of the absence of a same sex parent it can lead to criminality.
For example, Charles Whitman, who had an abusive father, shot 14 people dead on top of a clock tower.

Question 2

Maternal deprivation

Answer 2

Psychodynamic
If a child is detached from their mother for a short period of time, it can lead to not being able to bond emotional attachments.
44 Thieves were compared with 44 Non-thieves from a delinquency centre.
Bowlby collected data via interviews and questionnaires from the 88 juveniles, and found that 17/ 44 thieves had experienced early prolonged separation from their mothers before 5 years old. While only 2/44 non-thieves had experienced such separation.
For example, Gerald Stano who committed 41 murders, his biological mother gave him up at 6 months old.

Question 3

Eysenck’s personality theory

Answer 3

Psychological
Eysenck believed certain personality types are more likely to commit crimes than others.
Eysenck believed that extraverts, who like to socialise and have a need for stimulation, are more likely to commit crimes than introverts.
Neuroticism refers to emotional instability, anxiety, and mood swings, people who are neurotic are more likely to commit crimes than emotionally stable people.
Eysenck later added a dimension to describe individuals who are aggressive, impulsive, and lacking in empathy, if you are psychotic your more likely to commit a crime.
For example, Edmund Kemper who murdered 10 people and has a personality trait disorder.

Question 4

Social learning theory

Answer 4

Learning
Bandura believed that people learn by observing the behaviour of people around them, and then imitating that behaviour.
Bandura recorded the behaviour of children who had watched an adult interact with a bobo doll.
The adult either interacted in a nice/kind way, or an aggressive way (hitting the doll with a hammer, shouting abuse at it etc).
The children then played in the room where there was the bobo doll as well as other toys.
The children imitated the behaviour they had seen the adults demonstrate.
For example, Richard Ramirez who was a serial killer and sex offender who watched his cousin kill his wife when he was 15.

Question 5

Differential association

Answer 5

Learning
Suggests that criminal behaviour is learnt from your environment/social circle.
If an individual is around people who hold more favourable attitudes about crime then the individual will see criminal behaviour as acceptable.
Sutherland found that attitudes in the workplace often normalised criminal behaviour, this made it easier for individuals to justify their own criminal behaviour.
For example, Peter Sutcliffe murdered 13 women, his father was a “monster”, this lead him into becoming one.