Violence and crime: the Psichoanalysis view

Abstract

This article is referred to violence as an intentional way to impose damage to the body of another human being. Therefore, violence is used as an object of study in psychoanalysis, because it corresponds to repressed and unconfessed impulses from the human mind. Based on Freud’s and Klein’s studies, the concepts of Life Instinct and Death Instinct are related with the most recent knowledge of psychoanalysis in relation to violence and crime that elapsed due to the emphasis given to aggression during the pre-oedipal phase. It is also intended to distinguish aspects that relate the violence which origins from the complex of perversion and to establish a continuum between a light sadomasochism, a perverse sadomasochism, sexual abuse and finally, crimes of violence, in which the extreme is called homicide. The romance of George Simenon, Lettre à mon juge, will be used toillustrate some of such aspects. It is concluded with some considerations and recommendations based on the experience of the authors who study violence, about the chance of developing efficient barriers against its expression. Key words: Psychoanalysis; sadomasochism; violence; aggression