The New Evil Book Report: Understanding the Emergence of Modern Violent Crime

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The New Evil Book Report Name of Author Name of Professor Course Name Date of Submission

The New Evil Book Report 1. About The Authors

The new evil: Understanding the emergence of modern violent crime is written by two authors; Michael H. Stone and Brucato. Michael Stone is an American psychiatrist ad professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City (‘Michael H. Stone’, 2019). This author has received vast recognition for his refining of the concept of psychopathy and has also provided support to the need for flexibility in the therapeutic approach for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. Stone also received an award from the American Academy of Psychoanalysis in 2017, for his paper which described treatment recommendations for individuals with borderline personality disorder (‘Michael H. Stone’, 2019). Furthermore, Stone developed 22-point gradations of the Evil scale which is structured for the examination of the acts of violence involved in the provocation of the emotional reaction associated referred to as ‘evil’. Stone also wrote another book on the same subject in 2009 titled ‘The Anatomy of Evil’ (‘Michael H. Stone’, 2019). He has authored 11 other books and 250 articles in professional journals. Based on his experience and training, Stone presents valuable insight within this book (‘Michael H. Stone’, 2019). The second author alongside Stone is Dr. Gary Brucato. Brucato is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and author who has specialized in psychotic illness, and violent crime with the inclusion of mass, spree, and serial murder. He is also an associate research scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) in New York City (‘Gary Brucato, Ph.D.’, 2019). Brucato acts as an assistant director of the center of prevention and evaluation at the CUIMC, where he is involved in the clinical evaluation and grant-funded research of individuals who experience early psychotic symptoms (‘Gary Brucato, Ph.D.’, 2019). Brucato has been known for his development of novel screening measures for violence and his analysis of different motivations for acts of mass murder. Hence, his skills and expertise in psychopathology, personality assessment, and psychological assessment have been critical for the presentation of ideas within the book.

2. Background Information

The New Evil provides insightful discussions regarding the gradation of evil, the different sub-sets of murder, and their historical increase. Without exception, facts and figures indicate an increase in the level of violent crime across the country. There has been a steady elevation in violent crime with an expectation that this trend will only increase in the future. This is mainly linked to issues such as an increase in personality disorders such as anxiety, elevated drug abuse, and an inability to properly treat any development disorder that may act as a base for violent crime. Murder rates are far higher than they have been in the last two decades along with a significant rise in the level of rape incidents, robberies, and assaults (Walker, 2017). As violence appears to become a part of the national mythology, there exists a need for an understanding of the base behind violent crime within the country. America has become more dangerous with higher rates of violent crimes than observed in neighboring countries. These high levels of violent crime have compromised the physical safety and psychological well-being of individuals.

There is no single way that exists or the definition, classification, and measurement of the domain of violent behavior and violent crimes. Despite the apparent trend of an increase in the level of violent crimes across the year, determining which behaviors can be regarded as violent is viewed as difficult (Walby et al., 2015). This is because what is considered a violent crime highly depends on the social determinations of what is viewed as constituting violence. These social perspectives of violent behavior shift constantly and experience changes both on a temporal and organizational basis. Social constructions of violent behavior that have undergone institutionalization within the criminal law are viewed differently in other systems. Hence, a need exists for the provision of credible information that a professional can relate to while being simple enough for laypeople to read and enjoy. To enable an understanding of the different types of crimes based on varying social institutions and historical development, the book provides well-structured examples of the different types of offenders existent in each type of category.

More than ever, people have gained an interest in understanding personality disorders, their differences, and how they affect the people around them (Walker, 2017). There also exists a need for awareness of how changes in culture across time affect the behaviors of individuals and impact the existence of violent crime. The book fills this gap by providing comprehensive information regarding personality disorders and presenting distinctions between psychosis, psychopathy, sadism, and narcissism. This also involves a look at ways in which factors in society enhance the probability of violent crimes and violent behavior. By providing details of a criminal’s actions, the book addresses the social need that individuals possess to be aware of violent behaviors around them. Therefore, the book is not only significant within the sociological realm but also creates a well-defined historical map of the development of violent crimes across the years.

3. Book Organization

Within the book, each chapter is structured to stand alone while also complementing another chapter before and after it. The structure of the book mainly flows around the stone’s created classification system referred to as Gradients of Evil. This is a measure used for the definition and classification of different serious violent offenders based on significant attributes. As with the 22-point continuum within the scale, there are twenty categories of violent crime discussed within the book. Hence, the book is organized around the morality of the main motivations of different crimes or repeated criminal acts. This involves a start with criminal motivations that can be justified to criminal motivations that have no basis for the level of cruelty that is involved. Hence, the content is structured to present violent crimes from least severe to most severe. As the authors follow the scale, they begin with a discussion of crime that exists within the lower limits on the scale and move to the upper limits of the scale. For instance, there is variance indicated between homicides based on self-defense, or feeling helpless in the face of abuse and those who commit crimes as a way to conceal crimes that have already been committed. As the book comes to an end, there is a detailed evaluation of violent crimes at the end of the scale which is violent behaviors based on sadistic desires to inflict prolonged pain on several victims. This way the book provides a seamless distinction of the various categories of violent crime from its beginning to its end enabling the easy comprehension of the reader and a better comprehension of why violent crimes cannot simply b placed under one category. Book Summary

i) General Summary

The New Evil provides a detailed hierarchy of evil behavior with the use of several cases as examples of categories along the continuum. This involves the presentation of well-based evidence, that for almost seventy years, there has been an emergence of specific types of violent crime that were not as prevalent before. The authors engage in the examination of the biological and psychiatric aspects that act as a platform for violent crimes such as serial murders, serial rape incidents, tortures, mass and spree murders, and other severe forms of violence. An argument is presented that changes in the moral aspects of culture result in the development of violent behaviors, such that there should be a consideration of ‘evil’ as a validated area of inquiry. The book engages in an assessment of the impact of various environmental factors such as new technology, sociological aspects, cultural factors, and historical factors since the 1960s which may have created a solid base for ‘the new evil’. This complemented by an explanation of the ways in which personality, psychosis, and other qualities which as significantly contributive to specific crimes, resulting in varying motives by the different individuals involves. The book also takes part in the exploration of the potential ways in which violent crimes can be prevented. While based on Stone’s Gradient of Evil classification system, the book presents a clear definition of different violent crimes with the inclusion of distinct examples to enhance the understanding of each definition.

ii) Chapter summaries

As stated before, the book has 22 chapters based on the 22- continuum scale presented by Stone, who is one of the authors (Stone & Brucato, 2019). The first chapter is based on justifiable homicide or killing in self-defense and involves the assessment of the different motivations of these crimes. The next five chapters involve an exploration of impulsive murders in individuals that do not have psychopathic characteristics. In this case, the second chapter involves jealous lovers, and immature individuals who commit crimes of passion, while the third chapter assesses those who have antisocial characteristics and display a willingness to assist other killers. Those who kill in self-defense but also display extreme provocation towards their victims are covered within the fourth chapter and the following chapter address desperate individuals exposed to trauma who kill other individuals but are remorseful. Within the sixth chapter, the authors explore impetuous murderers who do not possess psychopathic features. The next category of violent crime is that of individuals with minimal psychopathic traits yet conduct highly sever murders and conducts two chapters. The seventh chapter covers individuals with high levels of narcissism who murder individuals next to them and mainly motivated by jealousy. The eighth chapter, on the other hand, addresses non-psychopathic individuals with high levels of rage which also acts as their main motivation for killing. The next six chapters involve individuals with psychopathic features who commit violent crimes and show malicious thoughts after the act (Stone et al., 2019). The ninth chapter revolves around jealous lovers that have strong psychopathic traits or are full-blown psychopaths. This is followed by a chapter that discusses killers that are extremely egocentric and kill individuals they believe to be in the way. The eleventh chapter explores killers that are full psychopaths and murder those they believe cause interference with the twelfth chapter assesses psychopaths’ focus on obtaining power who only murder when there is no other option. The last two chapters look at angry psychopaths who at times commit several murders and self-centered psychopaths who structure schemes when it comes to murders and killing others.

In the category of multiple murders in which the killers are found to have psychopath traits, the fifteenth chapter defines killers who are psychopaths and commit several murders while the sixteenth chapter addresses psychopathic individuals who commit several vicious acts, such as murder. The last five chapters involve the definition of serial killers, torturers, and sadists. Within the seventeenth chapter, the authors provide a look at sexually perverse serial killers who kill to hide evidence and do not engage in the torturing of their victims (Stone et al., 2019). In the next chapter, the reader gains a look at torture- murderers in which the torture element is not prolonged. The nineteenth chapter involves the discussion of psychopaths who are motivated towards terrorist and intimidating acts while the twentieth chapter assesses torture-murderers who have distinct psychosis disorders, such as schizophrenia. There is a discussion of psychopaths who commit extreme torture but have not committed murder within the twenty-first chapter. Lastly, the authors- in the twenty-second chapter, discuss torture-murderers who also psychopaths, who have torture as their main motivation and are not necessarily sexualized (Stone et al., 2019). In each of these chapters, the authors provide in-depth details regarding related case histories of some individuals with relation to each category. The names and facts within cases are all exposed as these cases were prevalent and displayed in several media channels. Despite the distinctive nature of each chapter, there are still some insights that are integrated across these chapters.

4. Book Evaluation

i) Scholarship

The authors utilize research articles and police reports for the presentation of evidence of the distinct forms of violent behavior. There is an intricate integration of data obtained from the journals and research articles used for an examination of the biological and psychiatric factors which exist behind the violent crime conducted by specific individuals. Through the clear indication of specific incidents that are clear public knowledge, which includes specific names, acts, and dates, both authors clearly demonstrate the motivation behind the enhancement in the level of violent crime since the 1960s while also explaining how personalities, psychosis, and other qualities are contributive to specific crimes, but with differing motives. The authors also engage in the examination of writings and artwork by widely known serial killers and use this information to provide insights into the logic that acts as a driving factor for criminal behavior.

ii) Strengths and Weaknesses

Tone and Style The book provides insightful discussions into the different subsets of murders such as stalkers and school shooters. The book has a professional tone yet is well-structured to enable laypeople to easily understand the information that is presented. However, the use of the term ‘evil’ may be highly disconcerting. This is because the term seems judgmental and moralistic while criminology-based data should have a more clinical and detached approach.
Importance of the Book This book acts as an essential addition to the study of violent crime and the motivations behind them. By using their clinical expertise and skills, Brucato and Stone explore acts of violence to provide the research of psychopathy with an increased understanding of the ways in which psychosis and behavior disorders affect the ability of an individual to commit violent crimes. Based on the information provided, the book acts as an essential reference for the treatment of individuals based on an understanding of their motivations. However, applied psychologists may show more interest in behaviors or acts that can be statistically tested to obtain proof of existence and accurate definitions. Therefore, other than the provision of a scale for definition, the authors should engage in the development of a statistical measure for applied psychologists.
Value of the Book for the intended audience The structure of the book is valuable to its audience by challenging them to increase their concern regarding the level of violence that exists. This also involves a reflection of the causes of violence and a recognition of the collective responsibility associated with the development of violent crime in the country.
Presentation of Information Within the book, the authors provide a comprehensive and conceptually clear framework on the typology of the violence. Through the use of extensive case studies, there is an exploration and presentation of insights and differing motives and patterns of homicide and violent behavior. The process of classification used within the book provides a clear understanding of the information. The identification of important elements that things have in common for their classification of categories assists in creating an order on a miscomprehended aspect of human behavior. Through the division of motivations for murders and other significant crimes, the framework for the presentation of information is well-structured and properly organized for understanding by the audience.
Soundness of Conclusions The conclusions made in each of the chapters present a clear base of the motivations which underlie violent crime. This enhances the comprehension of violence and the increase of the destructive and violent criminal behavior since the 1960s (Stone et al., 2019). Each conclusion is specifically structured to indicate a difference between psychosis, psychopathy, sadism, and narcissism. As each chapter starts with the definition of scales, and a provision of examples. The conclusion that is finally arrived at provides the reader with the ability to assign categories along the dozens of examples provided to assess their level of understanding.

5. Relation of the Book to the Class

The New Evil presents itself as an essential source of information within the fields of criminology and forensic psychology. The research presented within the book is in-depth and the format is unique and specialized in its way. This results in the provision of satisfying answers making at an essential reading in regards to the introspection into the overall study of criminal behavior. The profound depth of the book characterizes it as an essential reference book for psychologists interested in criminal behavior. The book provides a detailed example of the type of offender within each category and acts as the best source for reviewing information regarding personality disorders and the distinctions between psychological disorders such as psychosis and psychopathy. Through its methodical descent into the psychological features of individuals who conduct violent criminal acts and the motivations that exist behind their actions. Therefore, the book’s content and organization are highly relevant to the class through its presentation of ideas and evidence related to criminal psychology and psychopathy.

References

Gary Brucato, Ph.D. (2019). Retrieved 23 November 2019, from https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/gary-brucato- phd
Michael H. Stone. (2019). Retrieved 23 November 2019, from https://www.amazon.com/Michael-H.- Stone/e/B001HCVKXQ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_sha re
Stone, M. H., & Brucato, G. (2019). The New Evil: Understanding the Emergence of Modern Violent Crime. Rowman & Littlefield. Walby, S., Towers, J., & Francis, B. (2015).
Is violent crime increasing or decreasing? A new methodology to measure repeat attacks making visible the significance of gender and domestic relations. British Journal of Criminology, 56(6), 1203-1234. Walker, D. (2017).

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