Initial acts of harm create psychological pressure that escalates into mass murder.

Evidence

The persecution of scapegoats launches perpetrators along a “continuum of destruction” in which initial, less severe actions spiral into increasingly violent behavior (Staub, 1989). Harming another creates psychological pressures to rationalize one’s behavior, resulting in further derogation of victims (Lerner & Miller, 1978) and increased commitment to scapegoat ideologies that portray targets as powerful, implacable enemies who deserve what they get (hence the double-tipped arrows in figure 15.1). A vicious loop between ideological commitment, hostility, and violence, can devolve into mass murder, which is justified by the movement as moral and necessary, a matter of self-defense against an inherently malevolent “enemy.” — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1607 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Gradual escalation binds perpetrators to destructive roles they would reject in one step — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 659; Committing early harm spirals perpetrators into escalating violence via rationalization. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1607; People who harm others escalate the severity of harm they inflict — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 127 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Committing early harm spirals perpetrators into escalating violence via rationalization. #expands (0.97) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1607