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From war nursery to therapeutic milieu
1Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, USA.
The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Childhood violence is understood as a response to overwhelming experiences, with aggressive behavior providing a sense of vitality. Psychoanalytic intervention programs foster tension management and ego development in troubled youth.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Psychoanalytic Theory
- Societal Violence
Background:
- Compares child care during WWII bombings (Anna Freud) with contemporary troubled youth in poverty and violent families.
- Violence in children is viewed as a response to depleting and overwhelming environmental experiences.
- Aggressive behavior can provide a sense of vitality for children experiencing overwhelming circumstances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the issue of violence in childhood and society from a comparative psychoanalytic perspective.
- To describe a psychoanalytic intervention program for seriously troubled children and adolescents.
- To explore the underlying causes of aggression in children exposed to adverse environments.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of historical and contemporary child care contexts.
- Application of psychoanalytic concepts, including the therapeutic milieu.
- Utilizing crisis management, life-space interviewing, therapeutic education, and psychotherapy within group living.
Main Results:
- Violence is understood as a coping mechanism for overwhelming experiences.
- Psychoanalytic interventions enhance tension management and ego development.
- Therapeutic milieu fosters a safe environment for managing aggression and promoting growth.
Conclusions:
- Psychoanalytic approaches, grounded in the therapeutic milieu, are effective in addressing childhood violence.
- Interventions focusing on crisis management and ego development support troubled youth.
- Understanding violence as a response to environmental factors is crucial for effective treatment.