▁risk , ▁but ▁is ▁merely ▁watching ▁with ▁dis inter est ▁or ▁perhaps ▁m isch iev ous ▁am usement , ▁that ▁person ▁is ▁being ▁cruel — r ather ▁than ▁violent . ▁ ▁George ▁Eli ot ▁stated ▁that ▁" c ru el ty , ▁like ▁every ▁other ▁vice , ▁requires ▁no ▁mot ive ▁outside ▁itself ; ▁it ▁only ▁requires ▁opportunity ." ▁Ber tr and ▁Russell ▁stated ▁that ▁" the ▁inf lic tion ▁of ▁cruel ty ▁with ▁a ▁good ▁conscience ▁is ▁a ▁delight ▁to ▁moral ists . ▁That ▁is ▁why ▁they ▁invent ed ▁Hell ." ▁Gilbert ▁K . ▁Ch est erton ▁stated ▁that ▁" c ru el ty ▁is , ▁perhaps , ▁the ▁worst ▁kind ▁of ▁sin . ▁Intel lect ual ▁cruel ty ▁is ▁certainly ▁the ▁worst ▁kind ▁of ▁cruel ty ." ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁has ▁met ap hor ical ▁uses , ▁for ▁example ▁" The ▁cl iffs ▁remained ▁cruel ." ▁( i . e . ▁un cl imb able ▁when ▁they ▁des per ately ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁clim bed ) ▁in ▁The ▁Lord ▁of ▁the ▁R ings . ▁ ▁Us age ▁in ▁law ▁The ▁term ▁cruel ty ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁in ▁law ▁and ▁cr imin ology ▁with ▁regard ▁to ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁animals , ▁children , ▁sp ouses , ▁and ▁prisoners . ▁When ▁cruel ty ▁to ▁animals ▁is ▁discussed , ▁it ▁often ▁refers ▁to ▁unnecessary ▁suffering . ▁In ▁criminal ▁law , ▁it ▁refers ▁to ▁pun ishment , ▁tort ure , ▁victim ization , ▁dra con ian ▁measures , ▁and ▁cruel ▁and ▁unusual ▁pun ishment .