Skip to main content
Log in

Narcissism and the self in homicidal adolescents

  • Published:
The American Journal of Psychoanalysis Aims and scope

Abstract

Even where it emerges without any sexual purpose, in the blindest fury of destructiveness, the satisfaction of an instinct is accompanied by an extraordinarily high degree of narcissistic enjoyment⋯ owing to its old wishes for omnipotence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Freud, S.Civilization and its Discontents. InThe Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth.

  2. Freud, S.The Ego and the Id. InThe Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth.

  3. Aichhorn, A.Wayward Youth. New York: Viking, 1935.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Glover, E.The Roots of Crime. New York: International Universities Press, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Redl, F.Children Who Hate. New York: Macmillan, 1951.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bandura, W.Adolescent Aggression: A Study of the Influence of Child Training Practice and Family Interrelationships. New York: Ronald Press, 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bender, L., and Curran, F. Children and adolescents who kill,J. Crim. Psychopathol., 1 (1940).

  8. Bender, L.Aggression, Hostility and Anxiety in Children. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, 1953.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bender, L. Aggression in children. In S. Frazier (Ed.)Aggression. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bender, L. Children and adolescents who have killed;Am. J. Psychiatry, 116(1959):510–513.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bowlby, J.Child Care and the Growth of Love. London: Hogarth, 1953.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Reiner, B., and Kaufman, I.Character Disorders in Parents of Delinquents. New York: Family Service Association of America, 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Easson, W., and Steinhilber, R. Murderous aggression by children and adolescents;Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 4(1961).

  14. Sargent, D. Children who kill—A family conspiracy.Social Work, 13(1965):35–42.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Berkowitz, D., Shapiro, R., Zinner, J., and Shapiro, E. Family contributions to narcissistic disturbances in adolescents.Int. J. Psychoanal. 1(1974):353–367.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kohut, H. Forms and transformations of narcissism.J. Am. Psychoanal. Assoc. 14(1966):243–272.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kohut, H. The psychoanalytic treatment of narcissistic personality disorders.Psychoanal. Study Child, 23(1968):86–113.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kohut, H. Thoughts on narcissism and narcissistic rage.Psychoanal. Study Child, 27(1972):360–399.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kohut, H.The Analysis of the Self. New York: International Universities Press, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Toch, H.An Inquiry Into the Psychology of Violence, Chicago: Aldine, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Johnson, A., and Szurek, S. The genesis of anti-social acting out in children and adults.Psychoanal. Q. 21(1952):323–343.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Aichhorn, A. The Narcissistic transference of the juvenile imposter. In O. Fleischmann, P. Kramer, and H. Ross (Eds.)Delinquency and Child Guidance: Selected Papers by August Aichhorn. New York: International Universities Press, 1964.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Greenacre, P.Trauma, Growth and Personality. New York: International Universities Press, 1950.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Blos, P. Adolescent concretization: A contribution to the theory of delinquency. In I. M. Marcus, (Ed.)Currents in Psychoanalysis, New York: International Universities Press, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Miller, O. and Looney, J. The prediction of adolescent homicide: Episodic dyscontrol and dehumanization.Am. J. Psychoanal. 34(1974):187–198.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Menninger, K., and Maymon, M. Episodic dyscontrol: A third order of stress adaptation.Bull. Menninger Clin. 20(1956):153.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Blackman, N., Weiss, J., and Lamberts, J. The sudden murderer;Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 8(1963):289–294.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Reichard, S., and Tillman, C. Murder and suicide as defenses against schizophrenic psychosis.J. Clin. Psychopathol. 11(1950):149.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Smith, S. The adolescent murderer.Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 13(1965):310–319.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Jacobson, E.The Self and the Object World. New York: International Universities Press, 1964.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Bromberg, W. A psychological study of murder.Int. J. Psychoanal. 32(1971):117–127.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Eissler, K. Ego psychological implications of the psychoanalytic treatment of delinquents.Psychoanal. Study Child 5(1950):97–121.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Bach, S., and Schwartz, L. A dream of Marquis de Sade;J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assoc. 20(1972):451–474.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Reich, A. Pathologic forms of self esteem regulation.J. Psychoanal. Assoc. 15(1960):215–232.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Stollorow, R. The narcissistic functions of Masochism and Sadism;Int. J. of Psychoanal. 56(1975):441–448.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Winnicott, D.From Pediatrics Through Psychoanalysis. New York: Basic Books, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Spotnitz, H.Modern Psychoanalysis With the Schizophrenic Patient. New York: Grue & Shatton, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McCarthy, J.B. Narcissism and the self in homicidal adolescents. Am J Psychoanal 38, 19–29 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01250119

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01250119

Navigation