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12
ChapterI
Meanwhile,theproblemisincreasinglyevidentduetoinstancesofgenocide
andtothegrowingwaveofcrime,includinghomicidecommittedinsmallsocial
groups:withinthefamily,ingenerationcirclesandinorganisedcrimegroups.
Irrationalityofthekillers’motives,crueltyofthosecrimesandthelevelofat-
tendantaggressionshocknotonlythesocietyatlarge,butalsotheacademicand
professionalcircleswhosetaskitistoexplainsocialpathologies;hencethedeep
reflectionandintensedebate,theaimofwhichis,firstly,tounderstandthenature
ofcontemporaryaggressivecrime(bothdomesticandorganised),andafter-
wards,toattempttocurbitbyincreasingtheefficacyofthehithertoapplied
meansofcounteractingcrime.
Scientificanalyses,aswellasappraisalsoftherange,dynamicsanddifferen-
tiationofcriminalbehaviourinadultsandjuvenilesarecrucialtotheimageof
transformationstakingplaceinthe21st-centurysocieties.Nowonder,therefore,
thattheissueofpossiblereasonsforthecurrentincreaseinaggression,violence
andwarfareisofmajorinteresttomanydisciplinesofscience.Thetopiciscom-
plexenoughtoenterintothedomainofpsychologyaswell,inordertounder-
standandexplainthedimensionsofaggression,andtoappreciatethecomplex-
ityofmotivesforaperson’scruelactioninrelationtobothsinglekillingsand
masshomicideduringwarfare.Warandaggressionare,afterall,dependanton
humanactionsanddecisions,butrarelyexplainedandthoroughlyresearched.
Whatdifferentiateswarfrommanyotherformsofaggressionandviolenceis
notonlyitsscale,butalsoitsextraordinaryleveloflegitimacy.Itisafrequent
opinionthatawarbeitonebetweentribes,statesorreligions,acivilwar,an
insurrectionorarevolutiondoesnothavethenatureofaggressiondirected
againstthesociety:itisanoutletforanoffensiveordefensiveaggressiondi-
rectedtowardstheoutside,inamannersanctionedbylaw,customandculture.
Themajorityofknowncultures,primitive,archaicandmodernalike,glorifies
martialvirtues:dedication,fervour,bravery,militaryhonour,prowessandreadi-
nesstosacrificeone’slife.Fromtheancientheroicepicthroughmedievalchan-
sonsdegestetothe20th-centurywarpoetry,literatureaboundswithinstancesof
joyfulwadinginthebloodoftheenemy,butalsoofthetearsofwivesandmoth-
erskeeningthefallen.
Thequestionremainswhyandhowithappensthatindividuals,quitecontrary
totheirowninterest,submittothepolicyproposedbythepowerelite,religious
leadershiporethnicgroupandmoreover,theydoitnotoutoffear,butoften
withanenthusiasticabandon.Isthereforetheassumptionthataggressionand
violencelieinthehumannaturetheonlyvalidone?Isthereaoptionofcontrol-
lingaggressiveimpulsesinsuchamannerthattheyarenotexpressedthrough
warfareorhomicide?