A Crucible for Murder: the Social Context of Violent Children and Adolescents Introduction: the Social Context of Psychoanalysis 6rg 66o Social Bonding and Attachment a Dialectical Open Social Systems Perspective Case Presentation of a Good Outcome

The author describes aspects of social contezct that are of importance in the genesis of murdmous aiolnnce in childrm and adolescents. Case presentations illustrate the effects of family attachmcnt pathology, diffning outcomes in destru,ctiae child,rm, and, the copycat phmommon. The author concludes by summarizing the continuum of responses of childrm and ad,obscmts to aarious forms of threat: real attack, unconscious threat, kindled threat, suppressed threat, bul$aictim-bystandn sadomasochistic ritual attack, and, peergroufu alidated thrYat.