Criminal Psychology: Exploring Theories and Profiles

Criminals have been linked to many theories. Some are absurd, to others being logical. As a nation, we only make 5% of the world’s population. Yet, we hold 25% of the world 's population of prisoners. Many can be missing a superego from the psychodynamic psychology. Others just grew up with criminals like differential association. To many not seeing themselves at fault, but try to make the act they did less severe than it actually was, like in neutralization theory. Psychodynamic psychology was created by Sigmund Freud. Most serial killers are missing one of the factors in psychodynamic psychology. The factors are id which is always seeking pleasure, not pain. We’re born with id, while an ego helps us cope with reality. Ego is learned in

This theory is that criminal behavior is learned during social interactions. For example, who you associate with. If you hang out with people that do crimes or delinquent behavior, you’ll eventually start doing them. I had some friends that I used to hang out with like that every weekend. They liked to throw rocks at cars, I eventually gave in one night, and did it as well. Later that night, after I dropped them off I got pulled over because the car I drove fit the description. The police found rocks, I didn’t know they were still in there, they were in the back seat where my friends sat. I got arrested, and taken to juvenile hall. The reason I even did this because, I saw how easy they got away with it. The stories they shared with me, telling me how they did it and how they never got caught. That is why I find this theory relatable. I associated with them, I started to notice how easy it was to do the things they do. I thought I could’ve gotten away with it. I shouldn’t have done those things, but I didn’t use my superego that night. I honestly ignored it, even though my head kept telling me, “you 're going to get caught!” Differential association can make you a criminal if you are around the activity you 'll eventually think how easy it is to do it. This one incident, that is costing me thousands changed my ways. Consequently, it cost me my dream to play college football. Yet this theory can make law abiding

No one was hurt, it was just some windows.” Gresham Sykes and David Matza creators of the neutralization theory noticed that when criminals are arrested they’re quickly to blame others. Neutralization theory is when people break the law, and instead of taking responsibility they’ll point to others instead of themselves. I, myself did that after the rock throwing incident. I blamed my friends, then I kept thinking that since nobody was hurt it wasn’t a big deal. I was just trying to see the situation wasn’t as bad as it really was. The people that cannot take responsibility for their own actions are just immature. It took me a while to realize this, but it was my fault to tag along. I simply could’ve gone home that night. Except, I chose to tag along to not look like I was scared to do it. I figured since my friends do this all the time I can too. For example, when someone goes ten miles over the speed limit and gets pulled over. They will tell the officer that everyone else was speeding so why were they the only ones getting pulled over. That 's when the fingers are pointed to others, instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. The types of techniques of neutralization I used was a denial of injury. I figured since nobody was hurt, that it wasn’t a big deal. I would later come to sense that windows, especially in cars are expensive. Another technique I used was, Appeal to higher loyalties. I believed I should’ve been