Freud believed that the child discharges their libido (sexual energy) through a distinct body area that characterizes each stage.
The latency phase originates during the phallic stage when the child's Oedipus complex begins to dissolve.
The sexual and aggressive drives are expressed in socially accepted forms through the defense mechanisms of repression and sublimation.
The child has evolved from a baby with primitive drives to a reasonable human being with complex feelings like shame, guilt and disgust.
[citation needed] On the contrary, Jacques Lacan emphasized the importance of Oedipal problem for individuals' development and states that unsuccessful resolution of it is the most likely cause for inability to come to terms with symbolic relations such as the law and expectations of society.