The I nvention of ’the P sychopath G irl’

The Invention of ’the Psychopath Girl’

Bolette Frydendahl LarsenQueen Mary University, May 2014

From a Social to a Psychiatric Perspective on Girls in Reformatories

Lund University / The National Graduate School of History / Bolette Frydendahl Larsen

Outline

Part 1: Introduction• The Argument in Todays’ Paper• Source Material

Part 2: ’The Psychopath Girls’ • The Case: Vejstrup and the Failed Social Practice• The Introduction of ’Psychopathy’• Political Demands of a Psychiatric Solution• Conclusions


This Paper

Questions• Why and how did the problem of ”difficult girls” become a

problem of ”psychopath girls”

Sources:• Annual reports (1909-1945)• Example of records from the Vejstrup Archive (1908-1962)• Government reports (1940-1955)


Vejstrup State Reformatory


Incorrigible Girls at Vejstrup

• 580 girls released from Vejstrup between 1908-1948 • 14% released as incorrigible

• At Danish asylums and reformatories for both sexes only 3-4% were released as incorrigible between 1929-1939


The introduction of ’Psychopathy’, 1930

”She is very degenerated and has strong sexual aptitudes (…). She was tested for intelligence and declared "of normal intelligence, but defective in character, suffering from pronounced ’Custody Council Disobedience’ ”. She was than set to be released as incorrigible, but because of her [young] age the Custody Council thought it would be indefensible (…). The future of this distinctly psychopath girl is difficult to predict (...)"


’Psychopathy’ in Denmark: Prisons vs Asylums and Reformatories

• ”Psychopathy” became established as a legal category in Denmark in the 1930 Revised Insanity Law– Establishment of psychopath asylums for men in 1935

• Differences in the use of the diagnosis

• At asylums and reformatories: Synonymous with ”incorrigible”.

…let’s see an example


Psychopathy in Vejstrup reports #1

• ”A tiring pupil to deal with, she could probably do a job well, but she was moody, often sloppy, and superficial. A childish, silly and short-tempered girl, often with a disturbed and superior behaviour. If she was not satisfied with something, she was stubborn and coarse . She had a bad influence on the other girls, and one never felt comfortable with what she was talking to them about. (...) There was not much progress with her, she was almost stagnant ”



• ”A tiring pupil to deal with, she could probably do a job well, but she was moody, often sloppy, and superficial. A childish, silly and short-tempered girl, often with a disturbed and superior behaviour. If she was not satisfied with something, she was stubborn and coarse . She had a bad influence on the other girls, and one never felt comfortable with what she was talking to them about. (...) There was not much progress with her, she was almost stagnant ”



• Childish• No progression and incorrigible• Difficult to work with • Able to work, but sloppy• Wants attention

Sent away from Vejstrup Political concerns


Political Demands of a Psychiatric Solution

1952:• ”a large part of the children and adolescents at

asylums/reformatories were mentally retarded or had a psychopathic character”

1956:• ”Every year 16 year old girls are sent out of the

reformatories as ’incorrigible’ and their future is left to themselves and to their often very poor homes”; "the psychiatric contribution to the treatment [had] been rudimentarily”


Some conclusions


Thanks for listening!

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The I nvention of ’the P sychopath G irl’