Jackson regards masturbation and masturbation guilt as aspects of the relationship of mother and child. More specifically, he views masturbation in the light of the struggle over autonomy which takes place between a certain type of schizoid child and its mother. Masturbation, by giving the child a means of controlling its object relationships in fantasy, permits it some feeling of autonomy. This exercise of autonomy threatens the mother, but she cannot acknowledge her need for complete control of object relationship, so she must rationalize her opposition to masturbation by citing God, sin, or insanity. The child compliantly feels guilty in order to reinstate the maternal authority which its exercise