The Incidence and Character of Masturbation Threats in a Group of Problem Children

An empirical investigation of the castration complex in dreams1

“…Conn (1940) noted that two-thirds of children who reported that they had seen the genitals of the opposite sex could not recall their attitude or feelmgs about the lmtial discovery and over one third who could recall their attitude defimtely felt somethmg was vsnrong On the basis of these results the author concludes (Conn, 1940, p 754), "It appears that the large majority of boys and girls responded to the first sight of genital differences with tranquil, unperturbed acceptance " This conclusion was cnticized by Levy (1940) who earned out repeated doll-play mterviews with children and concluded (p. 762), "The typical response of the child m our culture, when he becomes aware of the pnmary difference m sex anatomy, confirms the psychoanalyst's finding, namely, that castration anxiety is aroused m boys and a feelmg of envy with destmctive impulse toward the penis m gu-ls " In a widely quoted review of psychoanalytic studies by Sears (1943) a few years later he summed up the castration studies with the statement (p 36), "Freud seriously overestimated the frequency of the castration complex" In a study of problem children, Huschka (1944) reported that 73 per cent of parents dealt with masturbation problems destructively and that the most common threat was that of genital mjury. The normal children used by Fnedman (1952) completed stories mvolvmg castration situations and the author mterpreted his data as offermg support for the commonness of castration anxiety, particularly m the case of boys.…”

The relevance of castration and circumcision to the origins of psychoanalysis: 1. The medical context

“…Bloch also quotes as examples of successful treatments, the cutting off the foreskin with scissors, the repeated cauterization of the vulva, the introduction of a ring in the foreskin, and so on. Significantly, these lines by Bloch were quoted by Mabel Huschka (1938), a psychoanalyst, in a paper in which the parent’s tendency to threaten the child in an effort to ensure his breaking off the habit were still seen as a sort of prolongation of the drastic forms of management, which were professionally advised until recently. Later on the connection between castration anxiety and real threats was lost, and castration itself turned into a purely symbolic issue.…”

Developmental Factors in Masturbation: Family Background Antecedents and Later Personality Patterns

“…Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. Research on developmental factors in masturbation is limited to reports of the early family background as contributing sexual misinformation (9) and threats and punishments for the masturbatory act (3). Research and case studies presume a single masturbatory type or personality pattern characterized by anxiety, depression, and guilt; self-punishment, impotence, and narcissistic body involvement (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11).…”