While moral considerations are obviously important
in such a discussion, they are not part of this book. Nei-
ther are questions of war, perhaps the most glaring ex-
ample of violence, nor the systematic slaughter of a
race, such as the Nazi extermination of the Jews. These
topics were covered in detail in a previous book for
young readers by this author, Thorny Issues.

My purpose is not to judge violent acts beyond the
implicit message that they offend human dignity, nor to
influence the reader to judge them; rather, it is to pro-
vide some insight into why people behave violently, and
perhaps some clues as to what may be done to prevent
such behavior. Many myths and misconceptions are as-
sociated with violence, and it is hoped that some of
these will be dispelled, and that my young readers will
then have a clearer understanding of the complex mix
of biological, sociological, and psychological factors
that lie at the root of aggressive behavior.

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