🚫Causes and Prevention of Violence Unit 7 – Types of Violence: Self & Collective

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Violence involves the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community
• Self-directed violence refers to violence in which the perpetrator and the victim are the same individual and is subdivided into suicidal behavior and self-abuse
• Collective violence refers to violence committed by larger groups of individuals and can be subdivided into social, political and economic violence
• Risk factors are characteristics at the biological, psychological, family, community, or cultural level that precede and are associated with a higher likelihood of negative outcomes
• Protective factors are attributes or conditions that help increase resilience and reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes
• Prevention strategies aim to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors at individual, relationship, community, and societal levels
• Suicidal behavior includes suicidal ideation (thoughts), suicide attempts, and completed suicides
  • Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially sanctioned

Types of Self-Directed Violence

• Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death and is a major public health problem worldwide
• Suicidal ideation refers to thinking about, considering, or planning suicide and can range from fleeting thoughts to detailed plans
• Suicide attempts are non-fatal, self-directed, potentially injurious behaviors with an intent to die as a result of the behavior
• Self-mutilation involves the deliberate and direct destruction or alteration of body tissue without conscious suicidal intent
  • Examples include cutting, burning, scratching, and hitting oneself
• Self-poisoning is the intentional ingestion of a substance in excess of the prescribed or generally recognized therapeutic dosage
• Indirect self-destructive behaviors are actions that have unintended negative consequences for the individual
  • These can include substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behaviors, and reckless driving

Forms of Collective Violence

• Collective violence is the instrumental use of violence by people who identify themselves as members of a group against another group or set of individuals, in order to achieve political, economic, or social objectives
• Social violence includes hate crimes, terrorist acts, and mob violence
  • Hate crimes are criminal acts motivated by bias against a particular group based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity
• Political violence refers to violence perpetrated by governing institutions or non-state entities to achieve political goals
  • Examples include war, state-sponsored terrorism, genocide, torture, and violent political repression
• Economic violence involves the use of violence as a means to achieve economic gain or prevent economic loss
  • This can include property crimes, robbery, extortion, and forced labor
• Structural violence refers to systemic ways in which social structures harm or disadvantage individuals, often through the unequal distribution of resources and power
  • Examples include poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to education or healthcare

Psychological Factors

• Individual psychological factors can contribute to the risk of engaging in or being a victim of violence
• Mental health disorders, particularly depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, are associated with increased risk of suicidal behavior and interpersonal violence
• Impulsivity, aggression, and poor emotional regulation skills can increase the likelihood of violent behavior
• Exposure to violence, abuse, or neglect during childhood can lead to the development of psychological trauma and increase the risk of future violent behavior
  • This includes witnessing domestic violence, experiencing physical or sexual abuse, and living in unsafe or unstable environments
• Feelings of hopelessness, social isolation, and lack of social support are risk factors for suicidal behavior
• Certain personality traits, such as narcissism, psychopathy, and authoritarianism, have been linked to increased aggression and violence
• Cognitive distortions, such as blaming others or minimizing the consequences of one's actions, can contribute to the perpetration of violence

Societal and Cultural Influences

• Societal and cultural factors can create an environment that promotes or normalizes violence
• Income inequality, poverty, and lack of economic opportunities can contribute to higher rates of violence in communities
• Cultural norms that support the use of violence, such as the glorification of violence in media or the acceptance of corporal punishment, can increase the likelihood of violent behavior
• Gender inequalities and rigid gender roles can contribute to violence against women and gender-based violence
  • This includes intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and honor killings
• Discrimination and marginalization of certain groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation can lead to increased risk of violence
• Easy access to weapons, particularly firearms, can facilitate the occurrence of violent acts
• Weak or inadequate laws and policies related to violence prevention and insufficient enforcement can create a permissive environment for violence
• Exposure to violent media content, such as video games, movies, and television shows, may desensitize individuals to violence and increase aggressive thoughts and behaviors

Prevention Strategies

• Violence prevention strategies aim to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors at various levels of the social ecology
• Individual-level strategies focus on promoting healthy coping skills, emotional regulation, and problem-solving abilities
  • Examples include mental health treatment, substance abuse prevention programs, and life skills training
• Relationship-level strategies aim to foster healthy, supportive, and non-violent relationships
  • These can include family therapy, couples counseling, and bystander intervention training
• Community-level strategies focus on creating safe, stable, and nurturing environments
  • Examples include improving neighborhood safety, increasing access to mental health services, and promoting positive youth development programs
• Societal-level strategies involve changing social norms, policies, and laws to create a culture of non-violence
  • This can include gun control legislation, media campaigns to promote non-violence, and policies to reduce income inequality
• Early intervention and prevention programs targeting at-risk populations, such as youth exposed to violence or individuals with mental health concerns, can be effective in reducing future violent behavior
• Collaborative, multi-sectoral approaches that involve partnerships between public health, education, justice, and social service agencies are essential for comprehensive violence prevention efforts

Case Studies and Examples

• The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a school-based intervention that has been shown to reduce bullying and improve school climate
  • The program includes components at the school, classroom, individual, and community levels
• The Cure Violence model, formerly known as CeaseFire, is a community-based violence prevention program that treats violence as a public health issue
  • The program employs violence interrupters and outreach workers to mediate conflicts, change social norms, and connect high-risk individuals to services
• The World Health Organization's INSPIRE package outlines seven evidence-based strategies for ending violence against children
  • These strategies include implementation and enforcement of laws, norms and values, safe environments, parent and caregiver support, income and economic strengthening, response and support services, and education and life skills
• The Interpersonal Violence Prevention Program (IPVP) is a hospital-based intervention that provides counseling and case management services to victims of violence
  • The program aims to reduce re-injury and retaliation by addressing the psychological and social consequences of violence
• The Good Behavior Game is a classroom-based behavior management strategy that has been shown to reduce aggressive and disruptive behavior in children
  • The game rewards students for exhibiting positive behaviors and has long-term effects on reducing violent and criminal behavior later in life

Implications and Future Directions

• Addressing violence requires a multi-disciplinary, public health approach that focuses on prevention and early intervention
• Continued research is needed to better understand the complex interplay of risk and protective factors that contribute to violence at individual, relationship, community, and societal levels
• Developing and evaluating culturally-sensitive and context-specific violence prevention programs is essential for addressing the unique needs of diverse populations
• Investing in early childhood development, education, and poverty reduction initiatives can have long-term impacts on reducing violence and promoting positive outcomes
• Strengthening the capacity of healthcare, social service, and justice systems to identify and respond to violence is critical for providing support to victims and preventing future violence
• Promoting policies and norms that support gender equality, non-violence, and social justice can create a societal climate that is less conducive to violence
• Utilizing technology and social media to disseminate violence prevention messages and resources can help reach a wider audience and promote positive change
• Encouraging collaboration and partnerships between researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community members is essential for translating research into effective violence prevention practice and policy