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I find it helpful to reference child psychology and particularly the "death instinct" when contemplating the propensity human beings have for violence. Observing very young children, one can see how violent they can get, particularly toddlers. It is the very first example of raw, unrestrained aggression...and they all show signs of it at one time or another.
Erich Fromm and Sigmund Freud have labelled this 'urge to destroy' the "death instinct" (or opposite Eros: the loving, nurturing instinct); it could be trying to strangle a spoon, crush a banana, tear the head off a doll, knock over another's pile of blocks, uncontrolled biting, attacking a pet, destructive temper tantrums, etc. They lose total control and literally want to destroy something, anything.
Things get more complicated as one gets older, but I believe human beings are born innately violent and in varying degrees, which eventually leads to societal violence.
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