Violence

Theories of violence

Violence is part of our daily lives and always has been. Every day when we watch TV, listen to the radio or read the papers, we learn about acts of violence. There are three main theories why people use violence:

Violence is an instinct which we all have. Violence is necessary for survival. Some psychologists say that energy, will and courage are forms of violence. If violence is an instinct it will always be with us. The only thing we can do is to find harmless ways of acting out our violence, such as sport competitions.

Violence is something that we learn. We hear about violence, see it, experience it and imitate it. If violence is the result of a learning process, this means, that we can get rid of it if we want.

Another theory says that violence is the result of frustration. When we do not get what we want we become frustrated and this frustration leads to aggressive behaviour. Because people will always experience frustration, aggression will always exist. People, however, often learn not to hurt others but to take it out on things, e.g. to slam a door. Unfortunately some also pass on their frustration.

A report from Choices: Decoding the power of anger

Many people believe that playing contact sports- such as ice hockey and football- helps players dissipate their pent-up anger and frustration. There is no evidence of this, a social psychologist said. In fact the opposite seems to be true. Research has shown that high school and college athletes who play these types of sports are quicker to express anger, both on and off the field, than non-athletes and athletes who play non-contact sports, such as tennis or golf. Anger and aggression often lead to more anger and aggression.

Anger and irritability can be signs of depressions, especially for males. In our culture, males tend to bury their feelings beneath anger. Even when someone dies, for example, sadness and depression in boys often shows up as anger and irritability. Girls, too, can become angry when they are depressed.

In large doses, alcohol is a depressant, and can cause a drinker to pass out. But it's also a factor in a large percentage of assaults, domestic violence incidents, and other crimes.

Violence on screen

Americans are getting increasingly worried by the negative effects of screen violence. An average American family watches almost fifty hours of TV a week, and four out of five of these TV programmes contain some violence. One American professor of psychiatry, who has been studying the effects of screen violence for ten years, has found that people who watch violent films are far more likely to lose their tempers and exhibit some form of violent behaviour than those who do not.

Another US study started with a group of nine-year-olds in 1960 and followed them for twenty-two years. The study showed that the children who watched the largest number of violent films were far more likely to be convicted of criminal offences than other children. A child's diet of violent entertainment is in fact a better predictor of adult criminality than the traditional indicators such as poverty and broken homes.

Recently, a teenager in San Diego watched a shocking dramatization on TV of the 1890 Lizzi Borden axe-murder case and then chopped his own parents and sister to death. There were about thirty Russian roulette deaths following the TV showing of The Deer Hunter, a film on the Vietnam War, in which the deadly game is shown in several scenes.

Horror films: Horror offers aggressive entertainment and a sense of rebellion. Just the simple act of going to see them feels like breaking a taboo. For all of us who feel that our freedom is very limited in ordinary life, the violence in these movies can be strangely liberating.

Horror makers like to set their chaos in the most normal surroundings. For example, a lot of kids like the fact that Freddy Krüger is out there attacking the middle class.

Psychologists say that the audience identifies with the aggressor. Somebody who kills is powerful. There is an identification with power, especially since there is so much admiration of that sort of person in our culture.

Some people worry that the films could cause the viewers to imitate the cruel acts they show, but psychologists say no. Among millions there can always be a few crazy people who are influenced by these films. Those people could find bad influences in anything. For the rest of us, horror films offer a pretty harmless attraction: they're good fun. For all their violence, in the end they can be seen as essentially innocent pleasure.

A journalist talks to a film director:

Journalist's statement: Taking the law in your own hands is not good and in reality nobody takes revenge. Films with a lot of violence cause more violence.

Director: Films don't produce killers, they show reality. There's less violence after the films and fewer people can identify with the heroes. It's entertainment that they produce and sell.

Violence in the USA

Last year there were 8 massacres in which over 40 people died and many people were hurt. In a Jewish kindergarten a right-wing radical wounded five kids and shot dead a Filipino. A frustrated worker killed three colleagues. A failed businessman has killed twelve people (and a left married man his six members of the family.)

Last spring, there were tragic shootings in Columbine Highschool. Two megalomaniac pupils shot dead 13 class-mates and then themselves. But the fact is, says Brian Steel, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, which tracks school violence, "There is less than one-in-a-million chance that a student will die in a school setting. School is still among the safest, if not the safest, place for a child to be.

In fact, just weeks after the Columbine shooting, four boys at Holland Woods Middle School in Michigan were arrested for planning an attack that might have rivalled the Colorado massacre. Police were alerted by a 14-year-old classmate, who had overheard the boys talking about their plot.

WARNING SIGNS

Preoccupation with aggressive fantasies. Some kids particularly seek out and admire violence as an answer to problems. They may develop a warped sense that violence is a normal, acceptable solution to problems.

Explosion of rage. For the extremely troubled teen, there's a feeling of powerlessness- they feel their only recourse to not being heard, or to being picked on, is to act out aggressively.

Lesser acts of violence in a teen's past. Rarely does a teen with no history of violence have a meltdown. Whether it's a suicide attempt or a run-in with the law.

Written or verbal statements of violence. Some kids leave a trail of their deadly intensions, expressing their rage with hate-filled statements.

Depression or hopelessness after a loss. About half teens who are highly aggressive are also depressed, according to the National Center for Policy Research for Children and Families. Columbine killer Eric Harris, for example, was taking antidepression medication. A sense of hopelessness can be initiated by a breakup, a rejection, or by cherished plans falling through.

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Nowhere are citizens armed so heavy as in the USA. In no other industrial state so many people die by firearms in times of peace. In every other household there is a weapon, whereas in Great Britain 4,7% of the households have a weapon. In some states it's easier to get a revolver than the driving license. There are more than 280.000 arms dealers between New York and Los Angeles.

In 1992, nearly 38000 Americans died because of firearms. They were killed, killed themselves or they were victims of an accident. 5000 of the victims were kids. In Great Britain 33 people died because of arms at the same time.

In the US arms have become a big symbol of manliness and independence like in no other country.

There is also a very high crime rate in the US. The prisons are overcrowded. Many people have weapons because they need them for self-defence. Drug-dealing, race problems, murder and manslaughter are the reasons why people buy weapons. The result of freedom for the arms trade was that drug dealers and gangsters were heavily armed. Two out of three murders are caused by firearms. In 1992, more people in New York were shot dead than died in car accidents.

For young black between the age of 15 and 34 death through a weapon is the first cause of death. 15 kids and teenagers under 20 die every day by firearms. About 10.000 teenagers bring a weapon to school.

More than half of the murders are caused by 14-24-year-olds since teenagers have begun dealing with cocaine and crack.

Only the sight of a firearm can lead somebody to aggressive ideas. A man, who is cut out aggressively, feels powerful with a gun or a revolver. Arms aren't neutral. They cause aggression which wouldn't exist if there weren't arms.

Domestic violence

Violence is any kind of behaviour by a man which is aimed at having control and power over his wife and children. Physical violence comprises all forms of ill-treatment: hitting, burning, beating with things and killing. Generally violence is getting worser and worser and more brutal.

Threatening is another form of violence against women. The fear of being ill-treated is the most powerful instrument of oppression.

Pestering and terror, like permanent calls, calls in the middle of the night or threatening letters, pursuit at work and at home an verbal threats are other methods to control victims. Threats are often expressed with weapons and against others, like the children, and even pets.

Psychological violence comprises emotional and verbal ill-treatment. The victims feel that their self-esteem and their psychological health is damaged or even destroyed.

Ridiculing somebody in public, insulting comments about appearance or character are other forms of violence.

Social violence is behaviour which is meant to isolate the woman, e.g. the husband forbids his wife contact to her family or friends. He locks her up at home and turns off the phone.

Economic violence is the abuse of the right of disposal about financial resources, e.g. the man doesn't pay for the household expenses or he doesn't tell his wife how much he earns.

Sexual violence includes all sexual activities which are forced on the wife (woman). Sexual violence is an act of aggression and abuse of power, not the result of uncontrollable sexual desire. Examples for sexual violence are forced vaginal, orale or anale penetration, force to other sexual actions and forced watching of porn.

Negative feelings

Fear/panic

On the one hand, women are afraid that ill-treatment can't be prevented, that it will be more intensive next time and that the intervals between the violent acts become shorter. There is also fear in women of how this actions could affect their children.

On the other hand there is the fear of separation from the violent man and of an uncertain future.

Anger-hopelessness

Violent actions in all forms cause anger, but it isn't against the perpetrator, it's against themselves. For women it's difficult to feel aggressive against somebody they love.

Blame

Often, women feel guilty because their violent husbands (partners) and also the society say that women are responsible for the welfare of the family.

Sexual violence against children

An adult uses the body of the child to arouse or to be satisfy his sexual desire

The child is touched on the intimate parts of his/her body

Somebody takes pictures of the naked body

Children have to look at porns

If they're raped

Sexual violence against children happens very often but it rarely spoken about. Not every child shows the same behaviour, but violence has negative effects on their physical and mental health.