Psychoanalytical Perspective to Understand the Case of David Berkowitz

Psychoanalytical Approach

By Janhavi Subramaniyan (1930236)

The psychoanalytic theory proposed by Sigmund Freud has occupied a place of significant importance in psychology. Psychodynamic approaches postulate that issues in later life are a result of intrapsychic influences and childhood experiences. The driving force behind one’s life is seen as the ‘libido’ which is described as the overall sexual energy that shapes personality traits and mental health as a whole (Petric, 2019).

In the field of forensic psychology, the theory aims to trace the origins of criminal behaviour and identify risk factors to predict the result of specific childhood experiences. This knowledge can help develop intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of crimes and improve the quality of life by intercepting those more likely to get engaged in criminal behaviour. 

Structure of personality

Freud conceptualizes the psyche as consisting of three components- the Id, Ego and Superego. The Id is primitive and operates on the ‘pleasure principle.’ It is a repository of unfulfilled desires and instincts, particularly sexual or libidinal drives that shape personality (Lapsley & Stey, 2012). The Superego on the other end of this definition of the psyche, is restrained and functions on the ‘morality principle.’ It encompasses internalized representations of parents and the society. The ego is a structure that mediates between the two and operates on the ‘reality principle’ to fulfil desires in socially acceptable forms. 

In David Berkowitz’ case, he lost his birth mother at an extremely young age and was made to believe that she was dead for years (Montaldo, 2012). His adoptive mother also died when he was only fourteen. Testimonies show that his father was neglectful as well. These elements build upon each other to manifest in Berkowitz’ case as a lack of a steady moral figure to shape his superego and an increased dependence on the Id. 

While the tendency to be pleasure-seeking and an indifference to consequences were traits apparent at a young age, Berkowitz began to commit crimes largely after a turning point in his life- when he found out that his mother was in fact alive and had him out of an affair with a married man. This knowledge caused his superego to weaken further and dispelled all illusions of morality in the world, giving in entirely to his raging Id that desired a violent outlet for his feelings of betrayal, anger and disappointment. 

Defense mechanisms

When the ego has difficulties mediating between the impulsive Id and the censoring superego, it results in anxieties. This causes the ego to develop defense mechanisms to keep unfulfilled desires out of conscious thought. We see a clear case of displacement in Berkowitz’ case. Rather than confronting his mother and resolving conflicts, Berkowitz slaughtered and attacked many other women that shared features with his birth mother, which is symbolic of his feelings towards her. 

Forensic anthropologist Elliot Leyton also believed that Berkowitz was filled with religious fervor as he tried to navigate the world to reorient his personal identity after the shock of finding out about his birth secrets, which Leyton terms as his ‘primary crisis.’ This behaviour falls in line with sublimation being used as a defense mechanism to channel impulses in more socially acceptable ways. 

Levels of consciousness

Freud conceptualized our personality as lying in varying degrees of awareness. This concept is often represented in the form of an ‘iceberg’ with the Id lying entirely in our unconscious, while the ego and superego lie in varying proportions between the preconscious and the conscious. 

Berkowitz was in control of his actions and confessed to making a voluntary choice, rectifying his initial false statements. This shows how the crimes were very much conscious, but we also see that there are many unconscious and preconscious elements that influenced his choice of victims. 

Psychosexual stages

Based on Freud’s work, all humans go through five psychosexual stages. Each stage is characterized by libidinal focus in erogenous zones and involves resolution of a central conflict to move forward, failing which the person would experience fixation. An inadequate resolution due to under or over gratification may also result in a person regressing to a previous psychosexual stage.

Through Berkowitz’ crimes, we see a salient case of fixation in the phallic stage and the strong presence of an Oedipus complex. He overidealized his adoptive mother, and felt threatened by castration anxiety from his father. Generally, the stage is resolved with platonic feelings towards the mother and a positive relationship with the father based on admiration. Berkowitz on the other hand, lost his adoptive mother to breast cancer at the age of 14 and was unable to get over the unreciprocated sexual feelings, which then transformed into bitterness towards women. 

The inability to move on from the phallic stage towards the genital stage, is apparent by how Berkowitz remained a virgin till he joined the army. His only sexual encounter later was with a prostitute, which left him with a venereal disease and further fueled his feelings of bitterness towards women.

The psychoanalytical perspective thus suggests that criminal behaviours are manifestations of early childhood experiences and are not under the individual’s control. While some argue that this view is too deterministic and leaves no space for the agency or free will of the person, the impact of these experiences remain undeniable and potent in predicting criminal behaviour. This also implies that by developing interventions that focus on a person’s childhood, risk factors for crime can be mitigated.

References

Lapsley, D., & Stey, P. (2012). Id, Ego, and Superego. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 

393–399. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-375000-6.00199-3

Montaldo, C. (2012). Flashback: Son of Sam Killer David Berkowitz. Retrieved January 4, 2016, from http://crime.about.com/od/murder/p/sonofsam.htm 

Petric, Domina. (2019). Libido. 10.13140/RG.2.2.33914.44486. Retrieved from 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337869760_Libido

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