Psychopaths and Psychotics Inside the Criminal Mind Psychopaths

Psychopaths and Psychotics Inside the Criminal Mind

Psychopaths and Psychotics

Psychopaths and Psychotics • Mental link to criminal behavior suggested by Sigmund Freud. • Austrian psychiatrist who created psychanalysis in 1880 s. • First to identify psychopaths.

Psychopaths and Psychotics • The human personality has three parts – Id – Ego – Super-ego

The ID The primary personality. -Displayed in infants to about 4 years of age. -The “I want” part of the personality. -Instant gratification. -Survival instinct or “fight or flight” instinct.

The Ego • The part of the personality that begins to evolve at about 4 years of age until 12. • The realization that you aren’t alone. You have to wait sometimes for gratification.

The Ego • Realization that punishment can happen for bad behavior. • Good behavior can be rewarded too.

The Super-Ego • Starts evolving at about 13 and continues through life. • Developing morals and empathy. • Empathy is the highest form of morality to Freud.

The parts of the personality • When all three parts of the personality are aligned – you have a “normal” human.

The balance of id, ego, super-ego • SOMETIMES when the three parts get out of alignment, criminal behavior can happen.

Psychotics • The ID dominates the personality. • IMPORTANT: Not all psychotics commit crime! • Murder, assault, theft can happen in psychotic episodes.

What can be done to help psychotics? Drugs that help chemical imbalances – such as lithium have been shown to help.

Criminals who have committed acts while in psychotic episodes. • • Charles Earl Simmants Charles Mc. Elvie Scot Baldwin Thomas Jackson

Neurotics as Criminals • IMPORTANT: Not all neurotics are criminals! • Behaviors of seeking control can lead to crimes like spousal abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, murder, etc.

Neurotic or Psychopathic? • John Joubert did his crimes in Nebraska 1982 – 1983.

Psychopaths • Also called sociopaths. • The super-ego dominates the personality creating a different sense of morality. • The one type of personality Freud said was unchangeable. No punishment will ever make them stop.

What do we know about psychopaths? • Imprinted at birth. • Mother didn’t want them. • Didn’t bond as babies or children. • Had a fascination with death and pain as children.

Characteristics of Psychopaths • Extremely high intelligence. • Low emotional stimuli. No empathy. • Control is vitally important. – Emotional and physical.

Characteristics of Psychopaths • Start with animal abuse. • Practice makes perfect for their crimes. • Feel justification for their acts. • Collection of trophies. • Leave calling cards for authorities.

Characteristics of Psychopaths • TEND to be loners. • Crimes begin in their 20 s – 30 s. • Tend to be white. • Not all are serial killers. • Female psychopaths?