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Cain And Abel In The Bible

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The story of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis is a great illustration of frustration-induced criminality. According to Berkowitz, “delay or blockage may generate intense anger or even a violent response, if the frustrated individual believes that type of response will eliminate the interference” (Bartol & Bartol, 2016, p. 94). In Genesis 4:4-5, Cain’s perception that Abel was blocking God’s approval of him is illustrated, “and the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So, Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell” (New Revised Standard Version). Upon determining that Abel stood in the way of him being able to obtain approval in the eyes of God, Cain sought to eliminate him. By murdering his brother, Cain was able to temporarily alleviate the frustration he experienced by not being able to obtain God’s approval of his sacrifice. …show more content…

Rioting typically occurs because of a buildup of frustrations. For example, the 2017 Charlottesville Riots could be because of the frustrations felt by both parties. While I personally do not condone anyone, who would result to violence to express their opinions, or anyone who believes in the oppression of others, I feel like these riots illustrate this concept. As stated by Berkowitz, an important dimension to frustration is the level of expectancy to reach a goal” (Bartol & Bartol, 2016). In the case of the Charlottesville Riots, I feel that both parties felt high expectancy of reaching their goals of delivering their respective messages. When they perceived that the other party was preventing them from delivering their message, criminal acts

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