Can someone be born bad?

I don't know. I suppose it's similar to asking if the human race is inherantly evil. People like Ian Huntly (just posted on your other discussion) really do make you think that some people could quite possibly be born bad. What on earth could happen in someones life to make them commit a crime like his? It really makes you wonder.

u cant be born bad. no one can. Its the society that makes one bad. lack of opportunity, bad company, inappropriate education, non recognition...these are some of the reasons people turn bad.

I do not think all the "Born" are bad. May be 5 to 10% born may be unbalance mind which may leads to do terrible crime. In most of the cases Situations, Family back ground,& so many other factors make the person to do bad evil. If they are taken care with proper remdies they could be improved.

No I don't think they are. In my line of work (psychiatry) I often come across those who are of "unsound mind" who have been through the legal system. Yep its fun dealing with child abusers! A large proportion of them have been well and truly screwed up in childhood by the adults they grew up with. Not always the parents but someone who should have been setting a good example. We always ask the question "are they mad or bad, or both". If someone commits a crime due to a mental illness, say "machete wielding schizophrenic goes on the rampage" then it is the illness that has caused them to act like that, the voices in their head telling them that if they dont kill a certain person they will die, for example. Having said that, you are far far more likely to be harmed by someone WITHOUT a mental illness. People with mental illnesses are far more likely to injure themselves in some way. To temporarily or sadly permanently block out the mental turmoil. People with certain personality disorders, formerly known as psychopaths have usually had some trauma in early life, or it is learned behaviour, ie taking a certain action and getting quick results, it may not be a socially acceptable action but heck as far as they are concerned it gets results.

I think that you canbe born to a genetic disposition that makes you more vulnerable to certain mental health disorders and behaviours but I do think that in order for these to be fully realised, upbringing and experiences play a part as well

no, you cannot just be born bad. when a child is born, they have no understanding of bad and good, right and wrong...they have to learn the diference first. it is impossible for them to be a bad person at birth, because they do not yet know what is bad and what is good. during childhood, one of the most important things that people learn is the diference between good and bad. it can take many years to understand this concept properly it usualy takes untill adolescence at least. there are even many adults out there who do not fully appreciate the difference between bad and good, and so do bad things out of pure foolishness not because they are bad people. it is only when someone fully understands the diference between bad and good that they can themselves decide wheither to become bad therefore they can definitly not be born bad, because a baby does not know the difference between good and bad.