Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?*
I feel like in recent years we have gotten very afraid of calling people evil. In almost every crime, there is a tendency to search for a broader explanation. My objection to this is so often it seems like we are looking to blame everyone else (usually the mother) instead of putting the blame on the individual responsible.
Not to add fuel to the intergenerational battle, but I do think that boomers and Gen X in particular were very committed to teaching their children that evil is not inborn, that it is the product of the environment. As a culture we are very uncomfortable with saying someone was born cruel or vicious.
I'm not sure what the right answer is, but it was clear to me as a child that people had different personalities and temperaments, and I would argue that extends to things like empathy for others.
*Kudos if you identified the wicked quote