Genocide has often been considered one of the worst crimes that could ever be committed against humanity. It is not a spontaneous act of violence, but rather a calculated and methodical process that unfolds over a long period of time, and usually in recognizable stages.
In 1996, a research professor published a briefing paper for the United States Department of State that outlined the stages of genocide, and he believed that such atrocities committed against humanity are predictable. Ever since, the professor’s model has been used as a crucial teaching point in genocide studies.
There are 10 stages to every genocide, and learning about them can help people understand how ordinary societies descend into extraordinary cruelty. Click through this gallery to see what they are.