New Evil. Features of Violent Crimes and the Motivations of Those Who Commit Them

MICHAEL G. STONE is known as the developer of the 22-level "Scale of Evil," which includes murders in self-defense, crimes of passion, murders motivated by jealousy, crimes committed by psychopaths, etc. Stone discusses the biological and psychiatric factors underlying serial... killings, cannibalism, rapes, torture, mass murders, and other forms of violence. He argues that the decline of moral values in society, including the increase in the number of families where children grow up without a father, leads to a rise in the prevalence of certain types of crime, as narcissistic psychopaths are stripped of any constraints. Stone reflects on the impact of new technologies as well as sociological, cultural, and historical factors on the formation of "new evil." He explains how personality traits, psychosis, and other characteristics underpin the motives of criminals and drive them to commit offenses. Drawing on his extensive clinical experience, the expert discusses the causes of criminal behavior and expresses hope that in the future, the number of violent crimes can be reduced. Stone does not propose specific solutions to the problems but notes the danger of a culture that "gradually becomes increasingly coarse, uninhibited, amoral, and selfish." He emphasizes the importance of personal choice and self-control: "The growing tendency to blame external forces for everything is, in fact, a hallmark of the narcissism that is currently widespread."