Dostoevsky's enigmas: An analysis of violent men

For the calculating male adult criminal, violent acts would appear largely counterproductive. Scholarly disagreements about these behaviors are substa ntial, although recent ethnographic reports emphasize the subjective sense of the experience. These reports have an existential aspect, focusing on th e meaning of violent, anarchic acts to the identities of perpetrators. The earliest and best known existentialist writer on criminality is Fyodor Dost oevsky whose violent characters Smerdiakov, Svidrigailov, and Stavrogin, ar e enigmas to their fictional counterparts, much as violent American contemp oraries are to authorities and the general public. Dostoevsky's three enigm atic characters are reckless publicity seekers; like aliens in their own la nd they habitually deceive, intimidate, and exploit while still considering themselves to be decent individuals. These depictions are congruent with Y ochelson and Samenow's much more recent forensic observations and reinforce nit antisocial prototype. Bogg (1994) offers a behavioral communality for this class of violent men: patterns of self-aggrandizing gaming developed i n childhood. The game player derives extraordinary pleasure from victories, although this orientation effectively counters socialization. From Dostoev sky's views an existential nihilistic construct can be derived. This constr uct depicts the persona of an inveterate violent game player and is consist ent with Durkheimian theory and with ethnographic and forensic/clinical obs ervations. The prevention of a gaming orientation is feasible bur appears t o require parental skills and community resources. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd. All rights reserved.