Electra complex: what is it and how to identify it

Electra’s complexion is a normal phase of the psychosexual development of most of the girls, in which there is a great affection for the priest and a feeling of resentment or bad will in relation to the mother, even if the girl tries to compete with the mother to win the priest’s attention.

Generally, this phase is light and appears between the 3rd and 6th years of age, but it can vary according to the child and the degree of development. This complex of Electra was developed by psychiatrist Carl Jung and, in most cases, it occurs because the priest is the first contact that the child has with the opposite sex.

As the Oedipus complex developed by Sigmund Freud, the resolution of the Electra complex will influence the development of adult sexual life and how the girl relates to the opposite sex.

How to identify the Electra complex

Some signs that can indicate that the girl is entering the phase of Electra’s complex include:

• The need to always place oneself between the priest and the mother to alejar them;
• Uncontrolled cry when the priest needs to leave the house;
• Feeling of great affection in relation to the priest, which could lead the girl to express her willingness to marry with someone else;
• Negative feelings in relation to the mother, especially when the priest is present.

These signs are normal and temporal, which is why they should not be a concern for priests. However, if you continue after 7 years or the time has passed, it may be important to consult a child psychologist to confirm the diagnosis and start the treatment, if necessary.

Is the Electra complex similar to the Oedipus complex?

On their basis, the Electra and Oedipus complexes are similar. While Electra’s complex occurs with the children in relation to the feelings of affection for the priest, Oedipo’s complex occurs in the child with the relationship with her mother.

However, the complexes were defined by different doctors, since Oedipus was originally described by Freud, whereas Electra’s later appeared and was described by Carl Jung. See more about the complex of Oedipus and how it manifests itself in the children.

When it could be a problem

Generally, Electra’s complex resolves itself without major complications as the child grows and observes the way her mother acts in relation to the opposite sex. Asimismo, is the priest who must establish the limits of the priest-hija relationship, so that the child understands that they are with other children with the ones that she must play and interact with.

However, when the mother is very absent or punishes the child for her actions during this period of her life, it may end up hindering the natural resolution of the complex, causing the child to maintain her strong feelings of affection for the priest, which may end converting into feelings of love, resulting in a poorly resolved Electra complex.

How to manage the Electra complex

There is no real way to manage Electra’s complex, however, paying little attention to the feelings of love manifested with the priest’s relationship and avoiding punishing the girl for these actions, seem to help to overcome this phase faster and not enter into a complex of Electra badly resuelto.

Another important step is to show who is the role of the priest, who only has the intention of protecting her, and that her true companion is the mother.

After this phase, the girls generally started to show resentment towards the mother and come to understand the role of both priests, starting to see the mother as a reference and the priest as a model for the type of person who wanted a day to your side.