PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY: Sigmund Freud

Violence: exertion of physical force to injure or destroy. Always accompanied by emotion of anger or hostility Which may or may not be consciously perceived. Can be expressed, suppressed or repressed

Psychodynamic Theory
Anger must reach certain intensity before resulting in violence The threshold for violence varies from individual to individual based upon biological differences

Psychodynamic Theory
Violence are instincts or drives
Drives: implied a state of readiness for certain types of behavior Instincts: implies a set of inborn patterns of behavior that is complete and autonomic in response to a given stimulus

Primary Instincts
Violence is a primary drive:
Aggressive drives are based upon Thanatos: death instinct,
anti-death wish

Libidinal: sexual instinct,

discharging energy

Primary Drives
Two Subtypes of aggression which result from primary drives:
Reactive: reactive and proportional to a frustrating situation. It's release serves to reduce tension and if complete permanently discharges the emotion. This prevents repression. Explosive rage: unprovoked and not in proportion to any event or stimulus. A dangerous form of primary aggression. Results from a short-circuiting of this process in lower brain centers (psychotic trigger syndrome)

Psychodynamic Theory
Both of these types of response release the tension.
Blockage Frustration Anger Inflicting pain on others (primary aggression)

Pleasure seeking New effort or delay of gratification Repression and /or defense

Secondary Defensive Aggression

Secondary (defensive) Aggression: Hostile or violent behavior that is entirely distortional or even unrelated to current provocation. "chip on their shoulder", short fuse This aggression taps on a warehouse of previously stored hostility. Senseless killings: no apparent motivation. Theoretically the release of tension should deplete the store, but with secondary aggression the aggressiveness continues to express itself over and over again in a repetitive compulsive fashion even when the consequences are disastrous.

Primary Autonomous Ego traits

Oral Anal Oedipal Latency

Oral Traits/feelings
Traits
Greed, insatiability constant demand for attention toughness

Feelings
Worthlessness Vulnerability Feelings of deprivation

Earliest biological and emotional needs are not met lack of gratification and frustrations

Anal Phase
Traits
Defiant behaviors Lack of self-control Impulsive Lives for the moment, oblivious to future consequences of their acts

Feelings
Hostility Fear of own affectionate wishes Driving away others

Oedipal Phase
Traits
Sexual impulses: rivals and candidates Unresolved conflict Secondary aggression

Feelings
Angry Dissatisfied Exaggerated fear of castration anxiety

Latency Phase
Traits
Peer pressure: we-they thinking Alliance to an aggressive group can create increased aggression Father figure
Strong-silent type, no father present or weak father result in hostile behavior Aggressor: father is cruel tormentor Self-concept as a bad person
Superego I am bad, ego responds to do bad things

Cruelty: need to subjugate others, to dominate others