The University of Sheffield Object Relations Middle Group and Attachment Theory: Gender Development, Spousal Abuse, and Qualitative Research On Youth Crime s. S. Wier PhD Object Relations Middle Group and Attachment Theory: Gender Development, Spousal Abuse, and Qualitative Research on Youth Crime Stewart Scott Wier PhD Centre for Psychotherapeutic Studies January 2003 Acknowledgments There are a number of people to whom I wish to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for their role in facilitating this achievement. Dr. Don Carveth first introduced me to the subject of psychoanalytic thought. He encouraged me to develop the potential he saw as an undergraduate student, and has continued to do so over the years, the most recent being through his endorsement of this particular dream. Dr. Gottfried Paasche is responsible for acquainting me with the process of qualitative methods of research, around which much of this paper is based, as well as for sponsoring my application to pursue this endeavor. The initial efforts for this project began over a decade ago at the University of Exeter under the direction of Dr. Paul Kline. He provided outstanding support and optimism surrounding these labours, in addition to showing compassion about my eventual decision to suspend them. Several years later, and following the retirement of Dr. Kline, Dr. Robert Young ofthe University of Sheffield, willingly assumed the responsibility ofacting as my subsequent supervisor despite the enormous demands on his time. The chair of the department for Psychotherapeutic Studies, Geraldine Shipton, displayed integrity, moral commitment, and consistency throughout the entire process. Dr. Christopher Cordess and Dr. Corinne Squire provided informed and respectful critical comments through a very cordial session which served to make a potentially distressing experience exceedingly pleasant, and brought considerable improvement to the first effort. The Library Staff at the University of Western Ontario offered enthusiastic responsiveness to each and every request I would make, and were exceptionally cooperative as an academic resource. Bill Davies showed admirable patience and meticulous attention to the editing process. leffGuilfoil was valuable with technical assistance. The experience of working with the young men at the prison provided intensively fertile clinical experience as well as enriching my personal life. My children, Adam and Danielle, continued to remind me of what is important in life by the attributes of who they are, despite my clear neglect during those many moments when I failed to maintain the perpetual and tenuous balance between work and family. Finally, my wife, Candida, shouldered the equal and added burden which these self-indulgent actions placed on her. She did this with composure and without complaint, to which she was more than entitled, and was, beyond a doubt, the single most effectual person who enabled me to see this venture through, particularly during the times when it seemed quite impossible. Contents Abstract 1 Introduction 3 Object Relations Theory and the Middle Group 3 Classical Psychoanalytic Thought and Gender Development: Castration Anxiety, Penis Envy, and Psychoanalytic Credibility 4 Object Relations Theory and Spousal Abuse: The Problem With Men 5 Youth Crime: Object Relations, Forensic Psychotherapy, Attachment Theory, and Qualitative Research 5 Thesis Outline 6 P~1 7 Classical Psychoanalytic Thought and Gender Development 7 Freud's Multi-Disciplinary Thinking 8 Sexual Development and Sexuality 9 Understanding Sexual Perversion 11 Psychosexual Stages and Freud's First Introduction of Object Relations 12 Defining Sexuality 15 Sexual Practises and Sexual Orientation 18 Homosexuality 19 Homosexuality and Morality 20 The Origin of Homosexuality 22 Defining Masculine and Feminine - More Similarity Than Difference 23 The Oedipus Complex - Gender Solidification 25 The Boy 26 The Girl 28 The Classical Account of the Girl Turning Away From the Mother 29 The Classical Account of the Differences Between the Sexes 32 The Conflict Between Instinctual Drives and Societal Demands 33 The Role of Education in Promoting Social Advancement and Neurosis 37 Innate Constitution and Sublimation 38 Object Relations - A Working Definition 39 Freud's Understanding of Object Relations 40 The Classical Account of Why People Pursue Relationships With External Objects 41 Object Relations and the Oedipus Complex 43 Object Relations - Klein and Fairbairn 44 Fairbairn's Account of Why People Pursue Relationships With External Objects 46 Fairbairn's Rejection of the Classical Division ofId-Ego 47 Critical Evaluation of Freudian Instinct Theory 49 The Classical Account of Human's Need for Instinctual Gratification 50 11 Attachment Theory and the Work of Bowlby 51 Critical Evaluation of Bowlby's Theory 53 The Absence of Physical Contact and Infant Mortality 55 Regulating Physiology and Socializing Through Contact 56 Infant Mortality and Sleeping Arrangements 58 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sleeping Arrangements 59 Home Care, Day Care, Nanny? 60 The Work of Ainsworth and the Lasting Impact of Maternal Care 63 Lorenz and Imprinting 65 The Work of Harlow and the Views of Freud 66 From Animals To Humans 68 Freud's Inconsistency - An Emotional and Cognitive Labyrinth 71 Psychopathology and Everyday Life 75 Oedipus the King 77 The Myth of Oedipus and the Abused Child 80 'Psychical Consequences of the Anatomical Distinction Between the Sexes' (Freud 1925): The Implications of Fairbairn's Theory 84 Oedipal Pathology, Relational History, and Victorian Culture 86 Relational History and The Shared Need For Love 88 Freud's Views and the Influence of Victorian Culture 91 Childhood Sexuality and the Concept of Adultomorphism 94 Psychoanalysis and the Issue of Credibility 95 Proof of the Unconscious 97 Conscious versus Unconscious Learning 99 Psychoanalysis - Then and Now 99 Clinical Application 102 Therapeutic Manuals 104 The Therapist and the Requirement of Personal Analysis 104 'From Human Misery to Everyday Unhappiness' (Freud 1901) 105 Psychoanalysis, Resistance, and Trust 107 Transference 108 Classical Psychoanalytic Thought, Therapy, and Women 109 Part 2 111 Object Relations Theory and Spousal Abuse 111 A Canadian Statistical Review of Violence Against Women 111 'Domestic Violence Epidemic? Not By the Stats' (Singer 2000) 113 Abusive Relationships Between Men and Women - A Game of Chance? 114 Psychopathology and the Views of Klein 115 Fairbairn's Overt Rejection of Freud and Implied Criticism of Klein 119 Fairbairn's Alternative View of Klein's Concept of Splitting 121 Fairbairn's View ofInternalized Objects 123 The Moral Defence Against Bad Objects 124 111 Spousal Abuse and Fairbairn 127 Differentiation, Integration, and Introjection 128 Differentiation 128 Winnicott: Integration of Part-Objects 131 Introjection 134 Masochism, Gender, and Freud 136 The Illusion of Love 137 The Abuser 137 The Abused 139 The Male Abuser and Social Learning Theory 141 The Psychological Effects of Abuse 141 Why the Abused Returns To Her Abuser 142 Object Relations Theory and the Perception of Blame 146 A Critical Evaluation of the Work of Fairbairn 148 Clinical Implications 150 Therapy and the Psychoanalytic Process 150 The Return of the Repressed 151 Therapeutic Difficulties and the Abusing Male 152 Therapeutic Difficulties and the Abused Female 153 Jukes' Optimism For Men 157 Object Relations and Spouse Abuse - Concluding Remarks 159 Part 3 161 Youth Crime: Object Relations, Forensic Psychotherapy, Attachment Theory, and Qualitative Research 161 Precis 161 Ethics 162 Foreword 163 Section A: Youth Crime and Qualitative Research, Literature Review 164 Adolescence and Antisocial Behaviour 164 The Socialization of the Young Offender 165 Adolescent Crime and Attachment Theory 166 Violence, Youth, and Gender 169 Gender Socialization and the Mistreatment of Women and Children 170 Object Relations Theory and Feminist Contributions to the use of Aggression 175 Treatment Modalities 178 Employment Training 183 Treatment and the Issue of the Family 184 Deviance and the use of Therapeutic Communities 185 1. Bruno Bettelheim and the Orthogenic School 185 2. Barbara Dockar-Drysdale and the Work ofWinnicott 187 3. Therapeutic Prisons 188 Section B: Youth Crime and Qualitative Research, Methodology 190 IV The Start of My Field Work 190 I Setting 190 II Choice of Research Methodology 199 III Subjects 200 IV Data Collection 203 V Data Analysis 207 VI Selected Data and Emerging Themes 209 Theme: Weltanschanuung - 'A View of the Universe' 209 Theme: Women and Physical Intimacy 210 Theme: Family Relationships 212 Theme: Prison Life - The Influences of Incarceration 215 Theme: Racism 218 Theme: RevengelEmpathy 219 Theme: Substance Abuse 220 Theme: Life and Death 222 Theme: Friends 222 Theme: Phantasy and Freedom 224 Theme: Emotional Connections 227 Section C: Youth Crime and Qualitative Research, Results 228 Weltanschauung - 'A View of the Universe' 228 Women and Physical Intimacy 230 Family Relationships 232 Prison Life - The Influences ofIncarceration 235 Racism 236 RevengelEmpathy 246 Substance Abuse 247 Life and Death 250 Friends 252 Phantasy and Freedom 253 Emotional Connections 255 I Learning Disabilities (Part A) 263 Learning Disabilities - Multiple Brains (Part B) 264 Learning Disabilities - Intellect and Emotion (Part C) 268 II The Paranoid-Schizoid Position of the Institution 271 'Watch Your Back' 271 'Choke Out" 273 Crossing the Line 274 'Keep a Low Profile' 275 The Intended