Video Option 2: Robert Pickton
Alexis Pommells-Costa
100696623
PSYC 3900U-Psychology of Criminal Behaviour
Ontario Tech University
Professor: Dr. Shannon Vettor
TA: Mr. Calvin Cressman
Wednesday, November 30th, 2022
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Neighbours and family friends of the Pickton family have stated that Robert was a nice
and helpful guy, who was quiet and always seen to be in a good mood (“Accused murderers’
friends”, 2002). So, what is it that led to Robert William “Willy” Pickton to be one of the most
notorious serial killers in Canada? He was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder
and is serving life in prison without parole for 25 years; however, it has been said that he is to
have murdered a total of 49 women (Serial Killer Documentary, 2017). After watching the
documentary, the question that remains is how does someone end up in a state that they would
feel the need to kill. In this paper this question will be examined by looking at the case of Robert
Pickton through the lens of psychodynamic theory. By looking at this theory and linking it with
examples of the Robert Pickton case, the goal is to provide some insight as to why he became a
serial killer.
Psychodynamic Theory
When looking at Robert’s early life, it is filled with neglect, rejection and dysfunctional
family relationships. The psychodynamic theory looks at explaining human behaviour “...in
terms of intrapsychic processes and the repetition of interpersonal patterns that are often outside
an individual’s conscious awareness and have their origins in childhood experiences” (Deal,
2007, p.185). Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory does provide insight into how the
development of personality is developed through the psyche as three separate entities: id, ego
and superego. Psychodynamics expands the role of the psyche through four schools of thought:
drive theory, ego psychology, object relations, and self-psychology (Deal, 2007).
Drive theory looks at the way in which our biological impulses determine our human
behaviour. According to Freud, the primary drives include sex, self-preservation and
aggression/destruction (Deal, 2007). While trying to seek gratification from these drives, the
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individual is confronted with rules and regulations from society which stops these urges and
leads to frustrations (Deal, 2007). These barriers to gratification are also internal, through the
development of the ego and superego. The id, ego and superego are important concepts to know
as the id is seeking constant gratification while the ego is the conscious development that
controls the drives to meet societal expectations. The superego is a structure in both the
conscious and unconscious which represents internal ideals that guide an individual’s decisions
to ensure that they are morally acceptable. Those drives that are seen as morally unacceptable are
limited and punished. When an individual’s desire causes conflict between the drives, those
unacceptable drive-based wishes are returned to the unconscious (Deal, 2007). By repressing
these desires, the individual experiences anxiety and awareness which, in turn, activates the
ego’s defenses by repressing unconscious thoughts that are seen to have negative repercussions
(Deal, 2007).
The ego psychology shows the ego to be much more than a drive; it also has organization
and synthetic functions, such as judgment, reality testing, thought processes, regulating internal
and external stimuli, regulating self-esteem and organizing conflict within an individual’s
personality (Deal, 2007). Some of the ego functioning is free from intrapsychic conflict and that
individuals have a drive for mastery that is equal to the drives of sex and aggression (Deal,
2007). This intrapsychic aspect of the ego focuses on how the environment shapes individual
development and acts as a defense mechanism. Individuals are seen as motivated to connect with
others and levels of attachment that an individual makes with their caregivers. The relation with
these objects is based on real relationships but also to internal mental images of others and of self
(Deal, 2007). These internal and external representations of self and others become a blueprint
for future relationships.
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When it comes to self-psychology, Kohut developed a deficit theory in which humans
were seen as being sensitive to their failures, isolated and fragmented (Deal, 2007). He argued
that parents serve as self-objects but then individuals need three types of self-object experiences
to create their tripolar self (Deal, 2007). This includes a mirrored self-object in which the
individual develops a sense of self-confidence. There is also the idealized self-object in which
the individual connects with individuals that they feel safe with. Lastly there is partnering selfobjects in which individuals strive to be like others. Self-psychology emphasizes that in order to
develop a healthy, cohesive and secure sense of self, there is a need for empathic adaptation to
their environment (Deal, 2007).
Criminal Behaviour Through a Psychodynamic Lens
Freud did stress the importance of the first five years of life because this is when an
individual’s psyche is developed. Criminal behaviour is also seen to be linked to insecure
attachments that are a result of poorly developed object-relations. When the connection between
a caregiver and a child lacks empathy, this carries with them in their adulthood, resulting in
strained relationships. Without appropriate attachments, an individual’s behavioural development
is impeded and there is a lack of learning about social wrongs or rights.
Criminal behaviour is also seen as being linked to be rooted in early life traumas. It is
through an individual’s interaction with their environment and caregivers that they help develop
a healthy superego that is there to morally regulate behaviour. Thus, if a caregiver is deviant,
their child’s superego may develop in a way that they find morally unacceptable behaviours as
acceptable. When it comes to the psychology of a serial killer, there is a drive to destroy and the
drive to gratify. There is a lack of learning and understanding that aggression is there to selfprotect and ignores the messages from the superego that expressions of aggression must be
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curtailed. Without the mediator ego, clashes between the id and superego allow for socially
acceptable desires to come into fruition. By finding ways to neutralize aggression, an individual
avoids the internalization of self-loathing; however, there are those who internalize the
aggression which results in self-destruction (Juni, 2009). Those who engage in criminal
behaviour are motivated to externalize their aggression. The tension that is created by weak egos
runs the risk of internalized harmful impulses that result in ego disintegration (Juni, 2009). In
order to avoid the pain of this ego disintegration, the individual gives into the aggressive.
Robert “Willy” Pickton Serial Killer
When looking at Robert’s early life, it is filled with neglect, rejection and dysfunctional
family relationships. A mother who is seen as being neglectful, overwhelming and/or intrusive is
said to prevent their child from developing a separate identity which causes the child to develop
aggression to create space between them and their mother (Yakeley, 2018). In the case of Robert,
his early life involved living on a pig farm with an overbearing mother who made sure that her
boys were always on task. From the documentary, Louise Pickton is seen to care more for the
pigs than her own children and was emotionally abusive to the boys, as she was seen barking
commands to the boys. The Pickton boys showed signs of neglect as they were seen to be
smelling of manure, pigs, and having dirty bodies and clothing. This made them ostracized by
their peers and led Robert retreating for the social circle of school life and bonding with peers.
Robert's object-relation with his mother was one that was based on poor attachment.
Although Robert did show some initiative, as he dropped out of school and became a butcher’s
apprentice; at the age of 21, he stopped and began working on the family farm. Robert can be
seen as retreating to a life of butchery as a way to please his mother but as a means of release of
aggression to the resentment he built inside. The resentment was built on the relationship with
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his mother, his inability to make friends and his lack of social intelligence. This lifestyle lacked
social interaction with peers which led to low social intelligence about the way the social world
works; this includes, rules and regulations and social codes of ethics (Juni, 2010).
Robert’s experiences in his early life, led to poor attachment which can be seen as
interfering with the normal development of empathy and impulse control and recognition and
expressions (Yakeley, 2018). Without the interaction with a positive consistent peer group and
the lack of socialization Robert retreated into the world of the farm as a means of selfpreservation. These lack of social interactions, impacted the development of the superego and
deficits in the superego result in impulsivity (Juni, 2010). Deficits in Robert’s superego were
weak, resulting in psychopathic tendencies that allowed him to lie, feel no remorse and lack
compassion. This could be seen when the police were interrogating Robert for the murders, as he
denied the murders and plead not guilty which showed no remorse for the crimes he had
committed. Without a moral compass that Robert should have developed through object-relations
with others, he developed a hedonistic attitude. By focusing solely on oneself, there is a lack of
appreciation for others and the lack of repression which would prevent aggressive impulses and
more of a focus on defense mechanisms (Yakeley, 2018). These defense mechanisms can take on
the appearance of projecting blame on others and disowning responsibility (Yakeley, 2018). This
can be seen in the case of Robert, when he would accuse his victims of stealing from him in
order for him to have a reason to start a physical altercation. This provided Robert justification in
the murder of his victims.
One of the questions that comes up when talking about serial killers is how they were
able to do what they did for so long. “Successful psychopaths” are able to create a persona in
which they conduct themselves “as if” they have a conscience (Juni, 2010). Robert Pickton was
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able to maintain social connections as his neighbours saw him as a very good guy who helped
them finish building their home and as a well-spoken “nice guy” who was seen as interested in
other people’s lives (“Accused murderers’ friends”, 2002). After the death of his parents, Robert
and his siblings, came into some money and with this money Robert was able to obtain power
that he never had growing up. Robert was also seen as social awkward and was only able to pay
for companionship and sex. Although, it is said that Robert found his niche, these relationships
were based on people using Robert for money and drugs. Robert used this knowledge as a means
of power and control over his victims. He would frequent Low Track Vancouver, looking for
victims who were desperate for drugs and money. Once Robert had them in his lair, there was no
escape from the butchery he had planned for them. With the lack of attachment, he felt for his
victims, Robert was able to dismember and get rid of the victim’s body parts without any result
for them as individuals.
Conclusion
Robert “Willy” Pickton’s early life was one that lacked the warmth and empathy that he
needed in order to develop a moral compass that he needed to go through life. From being
neglected, to having little to no social life, it can be said that Robert had no chance of being
“normal”. The psychodynamic theory was able to explain that due to poor attachment, Robert
was not able to develop a healthy psyche. He was rejected by his peers and without the formation
of healthy attachments, he was seen as socially awkward. He created a world for himself based
on his own rules that allowed him to take out his aggression on victims who he felt owed him.
He did this without care or callousness, showing no remorse for the butchering he bestowed upon
his victims and their families.
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References
Accused murderers’ friends, neighbours call him quiet, friendly farm boy. (2002). Canadian
Press NewsWire.
Deal, K.H. (2007). Psychodynamic Theory. Advances in Social Work, 8(1), 184–195.
Juni, S. (2009). Conceptualization of hostile psychopathy and sadism: Drive theory and object
relations perspectives. International Forum of Psychoanalysis, 18(1), 11–22.
https://doi.org/10.1080/08037060701875977
Juni, S. (2010). Conceptualizing Psychopathy: A Psychodynamic Approach. Journal of
Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19(7), 777–800.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2010.515163
Serial Killer Documentary. (2017, September 24). Robert "Willy" Pickton (The pig farm
killer) - Serial Killer Documentary [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://learn.ontariotechu.ca/courses/19429/pages/video-option-2-robert-willy-picktonthe-pig-farm-killer?module_item_id=460290.
Yakeley, J. (2018). Psychodynamic approaches to violence. BJPsych Advances, 24(2), 83–92.
https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2017.23