Sigmund Freud: The Main Causes Of Juvenile Delinquency

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Long ago, Socrates, one of the most well known philosophers, reportedly warned of the “delinquents” of his time. Plato attributed the following quote to Socrates, “"Children now love luxury, they have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect for elders, and love chatter in place of exercise. Children no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers” (Patty, 1953). This expressed warning continues to apply to the adolescents of today. As nations grow richer and opportunities abound, it appears that juvenile delinquency steadily increases. While the findings of every researcher’s studies are …show more content…

Freud argued that unconscious mental processes controlled an adolescent’s behavior. According to Freud’s theory, the Id is the drive for immediate gratification and explains deviant behavior such as shoplifting or burglary. The ego is the realization of real life and helps control the Id. Superego is developed through interactions with parents and other responsible adults. This psychoanalytical approach states that traumatic experiences during early childhood can prevent the ego and superego from developing properly, therefore leaving the Id with greater influence (Bartollas & Schmalleger, 62-63). Obviously, the few theories mentioned herein do not represent all the proposed theories on juvenile delinquency and do not fully approach all aspects of the delinquency of adolescents. While there is not one definitive reason that fully and completely explains juvenile delinquency, there are numerous sociological, psychological, and biological theories, which provide deep insight into the behavior of adolescents. Such insight, while perhaps creating an endless see of questions, does allow for a better understanding into the youth of our nation

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