Understanding Violence: Definition and Theories

Defining Violence

• Violence involves interconnected actions, behaviors, ideas, perceptions, and justifications, sharing core characteristics leading to human aggression.
• Subcultures exist where certain groups, are prone to violence (gangs, KKK).
• Righteous slaughter occurs when perpetrators believe violence defends important values, and victims brought violence upon themselves.
• Spillover theory posits violence in one part of someone's life can overlap into others and society legitimizing violence can increase illegitimate violence.
• The brutalization hypothesis suggests capital punishment might increase murder rates instead of decreasing them.
• War increases illegitimate violence, such veterans engaging in domestic violence and society becoming more accepting of violence.
• Archer and Gartner's study found most combatant nations had increased postwar homicides after comparing rates before and after wars.
• Violence, according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, involves physical force that injures or abuses, with intense/destructive action.
• The National Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violent Behavior defines it as actions intentionally threatening or inflicting physical harm.
• Newman defines violence as series of events causing injury or damage to persons or property.
• Iadicola and Shupe define it as any action/structural arrangement resulting in physical/nonphysical harm, aligning with the textbook's approach.
• Weiner, Zahn, and Sagi define violence as the threat/use of physical force causing physical/nonphysical harm.
• Bartol and Bartol define it as destructive physical aggression intentionally directed at harming others and behavior intended to harm another physically/psychologically or destroy object.
• Berkowitz defines violence as intended behavior to injure someone physically/psychologically.
• Instrumental violence refers to acts where violence is means to an end (assault during armed robbery).
• Expressive violence concerns acts motivated by emotional states (anger/jealousy), fulfilling internal/intrinsic desires.
• Interpersonal violence includes assaults, rapes, robberies, and murders committed by one or more offenders against one or more victims.
• Institutional violence concerns violent behaviors in organizational settings and family violence a form of institutional violence.
• Structural violence involves discriminatory social arrangements causing violence-related negative effects, like denying resources to minority groups.
• Complexities in defining violence stem from varied actions and contexts, along with perceptions and understandings.
• The context of violence is also shaped by factors like victim and offender characteristics, specific nature/location/rationale of the act.
• Violence is measured through law enforcement reports (UCR, SHR, NIBRS) and victimization surveys (NCVS, NYS).
• "Get tough" mentality, warfare, media influence, and victim status all impact society's perceptions of violence.

Origins and Nature of Violence

• Violence is rooted in human nature and the universe and research shows that most homicides are committed by "normal" individuals.
• The 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting, involving Omar Mateen, stemmed from personal, ideological, and psychological factors.
• Biology and evolution, psychology and trauma along with social and cultural factors influence violent behavior.
• Ethological/biological theories focus on evolution, neurobiology, and inherited traits.
• Psychological theories examine mental states, personality traits, and emotional responses.
• Sociological Theories explore how society, culture, and structural factors contribute to violence.
• Various types of aggression seen in animals also apply to human behavior (male-on-male aggression, territorial aggression).
• Fear-based aggression represents a response against perceived threats when escape is not possible.
• Maternal aggression represents protection of offspring and predatory aggression stands for killing for sustenance or power.
• Serotonin transmits messages between nerve cells in the brain and low levels are linked to depression, anxiety, suicide, and aggression.
• Serotonin acts as an impulse inhibitor, helping control aggressive behavior with low levels contributing to impulsive aggression.
• MAOA gene ("warrior gene") reduces serotonin and is linked to antisocial/aggressive behavior, especially with childhood abuse.
• Testosterone has been linked to male aggression, animal studies reveal that aggression resumes when given testosterone.
• Some studies link high testosterone with violence, while a Canadian study found no difference between violent and nonviolent offenders.
• Testosterone increases when winning and decreases when losing, but high-status inmates have high testosterone.
• Brain injuries/violence-MRI/PET scans show brain dysfunctions in offenders and EEGs show chronic violent individuals have brain abnormalities.
• CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) is a neurodegenerative disease from repeated head trauma, linked to memory loss, cognitive deficits, and dementia.
• The Vietnam Head Injury Study revealed soldiers had more aggression with frontal lobe injuries, but is correlation, not causation.
• Biosocial factors and epigenetics: genes interact with the environment and environmental factors activate/suppress genes.
• Pregnancy risks (substance use/abuse/disadvantage) alter gene expression and toxins impact genetic makeup, increasing aggression.
• Psychological Explanations of Violence include antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) which is characterized by narcissism and lack of empathy.
• Individuals with ASPD do not feel guilt, are manipulative/dishonest, and have reduced ability to process fear with instrumental violence.
• ASPD Personality Traits include being glib and charming.

Violence as Enjoyment, Frustration, Stress and Societal Factors

• Some individuals find violence pleasurable, with sadism involving enjoyment in harming others and thrill-seeking/excitement.
• Frustration-aggression violence: can result from frustration when people are blocked from achieving something; three components are a blocked individual, heightened frustration and potential violence.
• Stress responses involve the body preparing for "fight or flight" with increased adrenaline and triggers violent response.
• Sociological theories: macro (society-wide)/micro (family, community) factors and violence stems from external/cultural. factors.
• Economic deprivation + poverty links to violence in marginalized communities and minority groups experience higher rates of violence because of poverty.
• Violence isn't equally distributed, poor communities experience it most and relative deprivation is a stronger predictor of violence than poverty.
• Relative deprivation + unequal distribution of wealth living in an affluent society while being poor or inequalities in geographical areas, create stress and frustration.
• Anomie theory is that individuals experience strain when society emphasizes success/wealth, but blocks access to education/jobs: adapt through crime, withdrawal, or rebellion.
• Institutional Anomie Theory is that the American Dream promotes endless pursuit of wealth/success and institutions lose influence, economic success dominates values.
• Social Learning Theory (SLT) states violence is learned and people learn aggression through: Direct Experience, Observation, Victimization and a lack of Strong Social Bonds.
• Sutherland’s (1940s) Differential Association Theory (DAT): Criminality occurs thru association with others who commit crime where individuals learn to normalize the behavior
• Gang initiation "beat downs" demonstrate members leaning violent behaviors and attitudes.
• Signaling Theory explores that signals are used social indicators and the criminal signals express power. Aileen Wuornos's trauma aligns to violence as she was a repeat criminal offender.
• Humans are inherently social and influenced by group dynamics which groups often shape perceptions.
• Solomon Asch (1952) demonstrated that people conform under group influence.

Understanding Levels of Violence for Crime Ratings

Aggravated Assault involves use of a weapon or has injury and simple assault involves no or minimal injury.

• Homicide general killing of another.
• • First Degree- Premeditated
• Second Degree- Spontaneous
• Manslaughter- emotionally charge
• Rates for Assault in 2018 were 1,058,040 aggression assaults and 4,019,750 simple assaults in the US.
• Men are more likely to be targeted in assault than women, but those of Native American ethnicity the most prone to being the suspect.
• There has been a slight decline of assault rates in recent years.
• Homicide has been stabilizing as of 2017 at 5.3 per 100,00 population in the US.
• The SouthEast had the highest rates for homicide to which 51.8% were in the African American population . Violence and homicides are closely linked with weapon availability can elevate the use in an attack.
• Symbolic Interactionism theory of violent acts occurs in social contexts, where individuals attach their meanings to their actions.
• Expressive Violence occurs in moments on heightened anger.
• David Luckenbill states a confrontation contains 4 steps from offence to interpretation, then a response and if the conflict further escalate an attack may occur. Alcohol is said to be linked as a catalyst to this sort of behavior.
• With homiceds the Male offenders will often do so in public and women do so in private.
• Taylor Paradigm illustrates that alcohol can increase aggression.
• Violence is connected to drug uses with self reports around 32 percent and prior use around 84 precent.
• Psychoactive Effects of Drugs in history have made it difficult to access accurately the true dangers surrounding crime.
• Violence is an affect of the market in the business as there must be defense lines.
• A list of violence can result from enforcing business, dealing among subordinates, and eliminating informants.
• Harrsion Act of 1914 made medical use of cocaine and morphine, a means to access power for drug trades.
• Capone's St. Valentines Massacre demonstrates the rise of gangs during the age og prohibition.

Overview of Death Penalty

• Used in 30 state as capital murder.
• TX preforms most executions at 13 a year.
• The death penalty has been declining due to public opinion, but there are three justifications for the action:
• Deterrence- avoid the fear of doing capital crime is low. -- Those of African descent who commit crimes on whites were highest sentenced.
• There may also be wrongful accusation and can exist a racial bias present.
• • The US exists as a place with the highest sentencing and are not against the action unlike most of the EU.

High Profile Incidents

• 2017 Las vegas harvest and Paddock, which killed 58, and had also modiefied his firearm.
• Ian long was said to be a vegas victim and came to the next killing in the Thousand Oak Shooting .
• Mass killings consist of ~5 percent o full homicides, but receive high media focus.
  • serial, spree, mass and those that commit acts of multicide.
• Most serial killers are white men who target low risk targets.
• HOLMES:
• Comfort killers
• Power/Control Killers
• Visionary Killers

Commonalities

Many serial killers are functional in society were abused during their child hood and are often cruel to animals.

• Overview Mass Murder- occurs in one area with 4 or more victims in a relatively close period.
• The Tech Mass, Whitman from TX demonstrate a few case studies.
• The 1980s saw increased action committed by postal shootings- often white men in the workplace

Explore the multifaceted definition of violence, encompassing actions, behaviors, and justifications. Discover subcultures prone to violence and the concept of righteous slaughter. Learn about spillover theory, the brutalization hypothesis, and the impact of war on escalating violence.