Premium Essay

Early Adulthood Defense

Submitted By
Words 1362
Pages 6
People who are charged with offences in the United States will very often attempt to use one of the criminal defences to make them not criminally responsible or less criminally responsible for the charge. Some of the Criminal defences used are the insanity defense, claiming that the offender was mentally insane, the necessity defence, claiming that the crime was committed to prevent a more serious crime from occurring, and being underage. Each of these three criminal defences are very effective ways of reducing or eliminating criminal responsibility from the offender. A person's age is a large variable in determining whether or not the person is criminally responsible. and child under the age of seven years old is most likely not going to …show more content…
This is an example of how the underage defence is not working someone that young should be trialed as a juvenile, however, currently the child is being trialed as an adult and is facing life in prison without any chance of parole (Chen). Even upon first arresting the child, he was placing in an adult prison as a twelve year old (Chen). In this case, I do not believe the child should be trialed as an adult. They should not be able to place someone who isnt even in middle school yet in an adult prison and hold him completely criminally responsible for a crime, no matter how serious the crime. He should be tried as a juvenile and dealt with through the juvenile court system. Another example of this occurred in washington with an eleven year old boy who brought a handgun and 400 rounds of ammunition to school (Kaci). The child was arrested before hurting anyone and is being trialed as an adult facing attempted murder charges (Kaci). For both of these cases, the children should obviously be punished someway, but I think that because of their ages, it should be automatically dealt with in the juvenile court …show more content…
The women has spent three years in treatment and incarceration, and is now being allowed by the judge to reenter society (Jones). I find it very surprising that she is allowed out of incarceration considering the fact that she murdered her child. If someone is not mentally stable to the point killing your own daughter, I find it really hard to believe that three years of treatment can completely cure something like that. Another example of a successful insanity case occurred when a man, Steinberg, stabbed his wife twenty-six times with a kitchen knife (Michael). Steinberg claimed that he doesn't remember committing this crime at all (Michael). He claimed that this was a sleepwalking murder and he was not in his normal state of mind at the time of the offence (Michael). The court found steinberg temporarily insane at the time of the offence and walked away as a free man (Michael). I don't think they should take information like “He was sleepwalking” and “he doesn't recall killing her at all.” into account because there is no way to prove that. Its very possible that he was just lying about

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment

...Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment Jennifer PSY/250 October 15, 2012 Professor Cortez Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment Among the first to discover psychology were Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler. Each psychologist was an influential thinker, early founder, and contributor to the modern science of psychology. They spent many years doing technical investigations on astronomy, medicine, and laboratory testing in understanding human needs and characteristics. Each man’s philosophy was alike but different. Freud’s philosophy is founded on personality, conscience, desires, needs, natures, and thoughts. Freud studied five stages of personality development that included: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital. All these five stages detect a human’s character from birth to adulthood. According to A+E Television Networks, LLC (1996-2012) “Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Austria. Freud theorized and practiced neuropsychology; he was the first to study Hysteria, and sexuality. Freud studied dreams, which he called the royal road to the unconscious, and laid out the five stages of sexual development. Freud still remains one of the most influential figures in today’s world” (1996-2012). According to A+E Television Networks, LLC (1996-2012) “Carl Jung was born on July 26, 1875 in Kesswil, Switzerland. Jung believed in complex or emotionally charged associations. Jung collaborated with Freud but disagreed with him about the sexual basis of neuroses...

Words: 1145 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Case Study of Human Development

...inspire each person’s life story. Adulthood is frequently observed as when an individual is considered officially and developmentally prepared to hold responsibilities such as driving, voting, getting married, and entering the military. The course of becoming mature does not finish with adolescence but remains throughout adulthood as psychological, security and self-actualization requirements are met (Ehow, 1999-2011). Adulthood is separated into three categories, which are young adulthood, middle age and old age. In Erik Erikson's stages of human development, a young adult is an individual between the ages of 19 and 39. The early adulthood period in human development leads the middle adulthood phase. An individual in the middle adulthood stage is between 40 and 60 years old. An individual in their 60’s is considered late adulthood. During early adulthood the young adult phase includes the personal necessity for sex and intimacy. Isolation happens when an individual fails to achieve intimacy. The young adult finds out that love and compassion may help them to obtain what they desire. And when we don't find it easy to create satisfying relationships, our world can begin to shrink as, in defense, we can feel superior to others (The Learning Place, 2009). In many societies, young adults in their late teens and early 20s endure a number of problems as school ends and full-time jobs begin. They start to take on other responsibilities of adulthood. In this stage, young adults become...

Words: 1388 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Lifespan Development and Personality

...with adolescence as some may think. Adults also experience cognitive, physical, and social changes along with going through modifications. It has been suggested that adulthood starts at the age of 18, but adulthood can actually be divided into three different periods; early adulthood (18 to 40), middle adulthood (41 to 60), and late adulthood (60 and up). In early adulthood, a persons’ body is still developing. The chest range increases, shoulder length, and height, along with each individual continues to expand his or her physical capabilities. Through the mid-thirties just about everyone will have some type of hearing loss, but during this time most people would will say this these years are the best part of adulthood. In middle adulthood, physical modifications slowly appear. The one that is most common is the loss of sensory sharpness. Individuals become more sensitive to light, more accurate at noticing differences in the distance, and he or she is slower and less able to consider factors. At the age of 40, an individual has more caution then before. In a woman’s late 40’s or early 50’s, a woman will go through menopause, which is the shutdown of her reproductive capability. Estrogen and progesterone also decrease, and her menstrual cycle eventually stops. Most individuals are well into the delayed adulthood before his or her physical functions start to show any signs of slowing down. At this time there is a greater chance for heart disease and bone mass is deteriorating...

Words: 1397 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Eating, Substance Abuse, Sex/Gender/Sexual, Impulse-Control, and Personality Disorder

...Eating, Substance Abuse, Sex/Gender/Sexual, Impulse-Control, and Personality Disorder Normal behavior is accepted world-wide, but when people show abnormal behavior, it is accepted by the few that may understand why this is their behavior. Abnormal behavior that disrupts an individual’s life on a daily basis can be caused by several disorders. These disorders can very complex at times and some are more devastating to the mind and body than others. In this paper, the biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components of eating, substance abuse, sex/gender/sexual, impulse-control, and personality disorders will be analyzed. Biological Eating Disorder Genetics and abnormalities in hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain structures are focused on to explain how eating disorders are developed. Studies have shown that identical twins are more likely to have anorexia and bulimia than fraternal twins. However, other studies show that eating disorder symptoms can be greatly influenced by nongenetic factors, such as obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorder and depression. Eating disorders are seen as an extension of obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorder by some clinicians because people may develop the compulsive need for dieting, exercising, or purging as a result of obsessional thoughts about being overweight (Hansell & Damour, 2008). As for hormonal abnormalities, two hormones (leptin and ghrelin) have been the main focus in recent research. Leptin is a hormone...

Words: 2458 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Transition From Childhood To Adulthood

...Even if someone as an adolescent is not considered an adult, there are still certainly memorable moments when a person begins the transition from childhood to adulthood. As a young teen, I have also personally experienced moments where I have begun my development to a young adult. One of the most impactful steps forward towards maturity I have gone through was my experiences and growth as a high ranking black belt in TaeKwonDo. As someone who has practiced this sport for eight years of my life, TaeKwonDo has taught me the benefits of perseverance, courtesy, and respect for my fellow peers. The understanding and learning processes of these characteristics have taught me to become a more respectful and polite person. I specifically learned these traits when I entered the stages of the black belt in my Dojang....

Words: 525 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment

...have the same eight key aspects on more than one individual. Personality psychology truly is fascinating and is defined as the scientific study of psychological forces that make individuals unique. This paper will compare and contrast the psychoanalytic theories of Freud, Jung, and Adler. These three theorists devoted much of their time and energy developing unique approaches, methods, and techniques of psychoanalytic theory used to treat patients today. Sigmund Freud was the true founder of the psychoanalytic theory. Later, his student’s Alfred Adler and Carl Jung questioned Freud’s interpretation of dreams resulting in the Adler and Jungian theories. The psychoanalytic theory developed by Freud encouraged patients to discuss memories of early childhood, interactions, and fantasies. Freud believed that the use of free association and dream analysis revealed the unconscious forces driving one’s inner conflicts. Freud believed that human behavior is subjective to irrational drives that are not displayed on one’s surface. On the other hand, these irrational drives can be found repressed deep inside the...

Words: 1106 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Freud's Psychsexual Stages

...The Psychosexual Stages define how human personality develops from birth to early adulthood. Freud believed that children experience unconscious sexual fixations as they grow in age. These sexual urges change drastically with each stage. Without proper resolution following each stage, we may experience faults in our future personalities according to Freud. In this stage, the first of five, encompassing children from birth to 1, the infant's primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth, so the rooting and sucking reflex is especially important. The mouth is vital for eating and the infant experiences pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking. The mouth is the infant’s primary erogenous zone, meaning that the oral cavity is where libido energy is most focused. The infant gains pleasure through sucking and eating; the child ultimately develops a sense of comfort through oral stimulation. However, the primary conflict at this stage is the weaning process the child eventually must become less dependent on caretakers as it grows. In theory, an infant who is neglected (under-fed) or overprotected (over-fed) may become orally fixated with the onset of adulthood. If fixation occurs at this stage, Freud believed the individual would have issues with dependency or aggression. During the anal stage, the second of Freud’s five stages this begins near the age of 1 and goes till about 3. The erogenous zone shifts from the oral cavity...

Words: 824 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Developmental Approach

...happened before and will affect what is to come. Each period has unique characteristics and value. No period is more or less important than any other. 2. Development is multidimensional. It occurs along multiple interacting dimensions—biological, psychological, and social—each of which may develop at varying rates. 3. Development is multidirectional. As people gain in one area, they may lose in another, sometimes at the same time. Children grow mostly in one direction—up—both in size and in abilities. Then the balance gradually shifts. Adolescents typically gain in physical abilities, but their facility in learning a new language typically declines. Some abilities, such as vocabulary, often continue to increase throughout most of adulthood; others, such as the ability to solve unfamiliar problems, may diminish; but some new attributes, such as wisdom, may increase with age. People seek to maximize gains by concentrating on doing things they do well and to minimize losses by learning to manage or compensate for them. 4. Relative influences of biology and culture shift over the life span. The process of development is influenced by both biology and culture, but the balance between these influences changes. Biological abilities, such as sensory acuity and muscular strength and coordination, weaken with age, but cultural supports, such as education, relationships, and technologically age-friendly environments, may help compensate. 5. Development involves changing resource...

Words: 1831 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Sigmund Freud Term Paper

...Sigmund Freud the Founder of Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology * Born in Freiberg, Moravia May 6, 1856 * Began secondary school in Europe in 1874 * At the age of seventeen, Freud continued his education at the University of Vienna Medical School * At the age of 26, Freud met and fell in love with Martha Bernays, the daughter of the well-known Hamburg family. They were engaged in two months. * Freud and Martha would have six children, one of whom was Anna. She would later become one of his famous followers. * Freud died on September 23, 1939. * Allgemeine Krankenhaus a famous hospital where Freud spent 3 years as a resident physician. Five of those months were spent studying emotional and mental health. At the time behavior was not important, but merely a symptom * Freud then, returned home and established a private practice of neurology, where he devoted his efforts to the treatment of hysterical patients using hypnosis. * At the age of 39, Freud termed the treatment of “psychoanalysis” the way of treating certain mental illnesses by exposing and discussing a patients unconscious thoughts and feelings. * At the same time Freud began his own self-analysis by analyzing his dreams, which would result in his book, The Interpretation of Dreams * Freud is best known for being the founder of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychologies and his general contribution to the study of personality * According to Freud, the mind has...

Words: 990 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Psychodybamic Counseling

...Psychodynamic Counseling Lec 2: * Psychodynamic therapy (insight-oriented therapy) focuses unconscious processes in behavior * Goal is client’s self awareness and understanding influence of the past on the present * 4 schools of psychoanalytic theory * Freudian (Sigmund Freud) * Sexual and aggressive energies in the ID (unconscious) are controlled by Ego (bridge between ID and Reality) * Ego Psychology * Enhancing ego functions according to demands of reality * Object relations (Winnicott) * Human beings are shaped in relation to significant others * Struggle is to maintain relations with others while differentiating ourselves from them * Self Psychology (Heinz Kohut) * Self refers to perception of experiences * Brief therapy focuses on issue and therapist is active in keeping the discussion controlled Lec 3: Object Relations Theory: * Object: a person * Relations: interpersonal relationships (including past) * Object Relations: inner images of self and other * Holding Environment “Psychic space between mother and infant (between psychological and physical)” * Theory : “failure of mother to provide a holding environment results in false disorder” * Transitional Object “object chosen by the infant or a living object” * Object cannot be imposed by another person * Functions of transitional objects: * Prevention of catastrophic anxiety due to separation ...

Words: 2018 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Learning and Cognition

...Infancy and Early Childhood Development Paper By: Pamela Smith March 8, 2014 PSY 375 Life Span Human Development Introduction While researching this topic I found it to be interesting that there is a controversy about this topic. When Judith Rich Harris published her book in 1998 "The Nurture Assumption" which in the book Harris revels that parents have little to no influence over the long-term development of their child's development. Therefore, developmental psychologist have found themselves on the defense about this topic. Harris believed that the child developed more by the people around them and the surrounding around them outside the home. Her ideas went widespread and gained media attention and therefore the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsored a conference on parentingr." The fruit of this conference is a book, "Parenting and the Child's World: Influences on Academic, Intellectual and Socio emotional Development," to be published next year by Erlbaum. Chapters by Harris and behavioral geneticist David Rowe, PhD, present data to support Harris's view, while a cadre of developmental psychologists detail decades of research that they feel demonstrates the role parents play in influencing children's development" (Azar, pg. 62). Parents do matter, from the way they parent, to the foods they let the children eat, academics, socially, and personality development in a child. ...

Words: 1954 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

A Case Study: Theodore Bundy

...Case Study: Theodore Bundy Jeana Avery PSY 410 University of Phoenix Jan 27, 2010 Case Study: Theodore Bundy This paper will look at the case study of the serial killer Ted Bundy, who had antisocial personality disorder. Background of Bundy’s life will be provided, as well as the definition and criteria of antisocial personality disorder. Last, the paper will look at the biological, emotional, and cognitive causes of antisocial personality disorder. Background Theodore Bundy was born November 11, 1946 in Burlington, Vermont. Bundy never knew his biological father, and was raised in his early years by his grandparents, who Bundy believed were his parents. Bundy’s mother, whom he believed to be his sister, eventually took Bundy from his grandparent’s home and remarried. Three children resulted from his mother’s marriage to Johnnie Bundy, and Ted Bundy reacted with anger, resentment, and jealousy. Bundy did well in school, attended Sunday school, and was an avid skier. However, Bundy was haunted by his illegitimacy, and his mother’s resentment towards him. Bundy’s step-father would become violent when provoked, and Bundy felt overlooked, unsupported, and ignored. As a child, Bundy looked at naked pictures of women, obsessed about material possessions, and was humiliated by his family’s economic status. Due to Bundy’s lack of social skills, Bundy was shy, introverted, and felt inferior to others (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). “I am the most cold-blooded son...

Words: 1036 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Analyzing Erik Erikson

...as well as his Identity crisis at each stage. For Erikson, his theories were influenced by his childhood and his obsession over his identity. It led to the development of his theories. Erikson was born June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany. He never saw his birth father or his mother's first husband. His young Jewish mother raised Erik by herself for a time before marrying a physician, Dr. Theodor Homberger. The fact that Homberger was not in fact his biological father was held from him for many years. When he finally did learn the truth, he was left with a feeling of confusion about who he really was. This early experience helped spark his interest in the formation of identity.(Erik Erikson) In his stages of Psychosocial development, at the stage of Identity vs. Role confusion, Erikson stressed that this stage is important for the adolescent as he is transitioning to adulthood. The individual wants to belong to a society and fit in. It is during this stage that the adolescent will re-examine his identity and try to find out exactly who he or she is. During this period, they explore possibilities and begin to form their own identity based upon the outcome of their explorations. Failure to establish a sense of identity within society ("I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up") can lead to role confusion. Role confusing involves the individual not being sure about themselves or their place in society.(McLeod) In response to role confusion or identity crisis an adolescent may...

Words: 1438 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Changes in Body and Mind from Childhood to Adulthood

...Bodies and minds change from early to late adulthood Student’s name Course name and number Instructor’s name Date submitted BODIES AND MINDS CHANGE FROM EARLY TO LATE ADULTHOOD Introduction After human beings are born, they experience many changes both their mind and physical bodies. The changes in the human mind and the physical body are the main reason for the development that humans undergo in their lives. People should be conversant with the changes that take place in their bodies hence be able to cope up other types of changes such as emotional, physical and psychological changes in their development stages. The human development in mind starts right after fertilization and continues up until the person dies. This paper is a study on the development of human mind and the physical growth. A human mind identifies as the cognitive faculties that help people in perception, thinking and effective judgment. Additionally, the human mind is also attributed to the consciousness and memory ability. However, it is true that both the physical and mind development differs between boys and girls where their developments depend more on the gender that one holds. During the development stages, children's bodies tend to develop making them look less like an adult. In the womb, male babies are born with as much as testosterone as a 25-year-old man (Black, 2003). Alter after birth. The testosterone plummets until the boy reaches the age of puberty. The testosterone is responsible...

Words: 2333 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Freud

...Freud’s Work “Sigmund Freud’s work and theories helped shape our views of childhood, personality, memory, sexuality and therapy. Other major thinkers have contributed work that grew out of Freud's legacy, while others developed new theories out of opposition to his ideas.”(Cherry, 2011). Freud’s major theories included the id, ego, and super ego, the conscience and unconscious, psychosexual development, and defense mechanisms. Id, Ego, and Superego The id, ego, and superego are what are known as the three components to the personality. The id shows itself from the moment one is born. It is the spoiled brat of the personality and driven by the pleasure principle. The id wants what it wants and it wants it immediately. While this aspect of personality is quite important during the years directly after birth so as the baby can get his or her needs met, if it is not overcome it can become socially crippling as the person grows into an older child and the an adult. The ego deals with reality.” According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world.” (Cherry, 2011). The id and the ego are related but the ego tries to satisfy the needs of the id in more mature and acceptable ways. The superego is the final part of personality. “The superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society--our sense of...

Words: 1424 - Pages: 6