From Pain To Violence

This second edition of From Pain to Violence: The Traumatic Roots of Destructiveness has been fully updated, including a new chapter on terrorism. Violence is all around us creating a climate of insecurity and terror but, despite its widespread prevalence, we remain unclear about its causes. Felicity de Zulueta challenges the view that we are innately violent and argues that violence is a preventable condition that usually begins at home. Here she explores how pain, particularly the pain of humiliation, resulting from either childhood abuse or subsequent adult traumatisation, can lead to violence. For the second edition, this important text has been fully updated and now includes a valuable analysis of terrorism. Using vivid clinical vignettes to bring theoretical arguments to life, this edition explores key areas such as: latest research on attachment and its relationship to PTSD and violence current neuro-psychological research and the latest treatments of PTSD cross-cultural issues, racism and gender inequality the psycho-social basis of professional abuse, torture and genocide the psycho-social basis of modern fundamentalism and terrorism issues of prevention, resilience and altruism. From Pain to Violence skilfully integrates findings across many different disciplines to provide an understanding of why ordinary people can become violent. It is essential reading for psychologists, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts and counsellors working with violent adults and children, but will also be of interest to sociologists and anyone looking to understand and deal with violence and terrorism. From reviews of the first edition: "Dr de Zulueta's work is ground breaking…it is likely to change the way we both think about and do the work of psychotherapy."—British Journal of Psychotherapy "I found this book to be one of the most interesting and exciting I have come across in a long time."—CHANGES: An International Journal of Psychology and Psychotherapy (now Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy) Violence is all around us; yet, despite its widespread prevalence, we remain unclear about its causes. In this book Felicity de Zulueta - begins by defining "violence" as distinct from "aggression", and then attempts to trace its origins, highlighting the polarization between those who believe mankind to be innately violent and those who see violence as the outcome of man's life experiences. As a result of her investigations, the author suggests that the current high level of violence may well be linked to the effects of childhood and adult trauma which appear to be far more widespread than has hitherto been acknowledged. These findings are relevant to understanding why "normal" people can become violent in certain conditions. This is a second edition and has been fully updated. A new chapter on terrorism has been added.