What Is Violence?
Objectives
., Describe all of the costs
related to violence . Warm-tip -------~
., Identify five risk factors
for violence . Myth Most acts of violence are
committed by strangers , often as
Vocabulary part of robberies or other crimes.
• violence
• homicide Fact In the United States, most acts
of violence are done by people who
• victim
know their victims.
• assailant
• territorial gang l~'J;!iilWI Why do you think tha t
many people believe stranger s commit
most violent acts?
Violence and Health
What does the word violence mean to you? Violence is the threat of or
actual use of physical force against oneself or anot her person . Violence
often results in injury or death. Homicide is a type of violence that gets a
lot of attention from the media. Homicide (HAHM ih syd) is the inten-
tional killing of one person by another . It is the second leadin g cause of
death for people age 15 to 24. Other examp les of violence are suicide and
rape . So is threatening to harm another person .
Violence is a huge problem in the United States. Consider this data
from one recent year.
., There were 16,259 deaths by homici de- one every 32.5 minut es.
., There were 38,364 deaths by suicide-one every 13.5 min utes .
., There were 81,280 reported rapes of women-o ne every 6.5 min utes.
Figure 1 compares the homicide rates for selected countries.
Violence is of major concern to health pro fessiona ls. Doctors and
nurses treat people who are injure d by violence. Ment al health coun selors
deal with th e em otiona l harm . People who work in the area of publi c
healt h look for ways to reduce the level of violence. These health profes-
sionals are aware of the costs of violence. With violence, there are costs
to the victim , costs to the assailant, and costs to society as a whole.
162 Chapter 7
Costs to the Victim The victim is the person
who is attacked . Death is the most serious outcome of a
Homicide Rates by Country
violent act, but it is not the only possible result. Victims
who survive may suffer serious permanent injuries. Country Rate
---
Injuries to the head can lead to the loss of brain function.
Other injuries can cause a permanent loss of feeling and
Australia 1.2
movement in some part of the body . But even when
injuries are less serious, they still may cause pain, require Brazil 22.7
medical treatment, take time to heal, and leave scars.
~ Costa Rica 11.3
==
There may also be emotional scars . Victims often
experience anger, fear, and depression . It is also common De nmark 0.9
for victims to replay the event over and over in their
minds. This may make it difficult for them to focus on
the future instead of the past. Family members and
• Japan
Philippine s
0.5
5.4
friends have to deal with feelings of loss or the burden of
caring for an injured person.
•- Portugal 1.2
Costs to the Assailant Another person who pays
a price for violence is the assailant. An assailant (uh SAY
lunt) is a person who attacks another person. The --
---i
~
Spain
Thailand
United Kingdom
0.9
5.3
1.2
assailant may be seriously injured in a fight. The assailant
may feel guilt or shame, and live in fear of an act of
revenge.
• United States 5 .0
The assailant also may face criminal charges, court
costs, lawyer's fees, and possible jail time . Having a crim- FIGURE 1 The United Nations collected
th is data. The rates are given as deaths per
inal record can seriously affect a person for the rest of every 100,000 people.
his or her life. For example, it can limit a person's Reading Tables Which country listed has
chances of finding a job or prevent a person from voting the highest homicide rate? Wh ich
countries have the lowest?
in some states .
Costs to Society There are financial costs associated with violence .
It costs the healthcare system over 2 trillion dollars a year to treat injuries
that result from violence. Taxpayers also must pay for law enforcement,
courts, and prisons . If schools spend money for metal detectors or guards,
there may not be money left in the budget to pay for music, art, or sports .
There are emotional costs to society as well. Violent acts affect people
even when they don't know the victims or assailants . In communities
where violent acts are common, a fear of violence controls many day-to-
day decisions. People avoid certain neighborhoods or are afraid to go out
at night . They install security locks or alarms, and are suspicious of
strangers .
Do you know a survivor of a violent attack ? If so,
how did the attack affect the person?
Preventing Violence 163
Risk Factors for Violence
. GO ONLINE Researchers have identified some risk factors for violence. These risk
Pearson Success Net.corn factors are poverty, family violence, exposure to media violence,
For: More on media violence availability of weapons, drug abuse, and membership in gangs.
Poverty Most people who are poor are not violent. But when people
don 't have jobs, adequate food, healthcare, or respect from others, they
may feel hopeless . They also may have a high level of frustration and
anger because they are unable to improve their lives. A minor event may
cause people who are already frustrated and angry to react more violently
than normal. This helps to explain why the rate of violence is highest in
poor urban communities where unemployment rates are high.
Movies and television shows can leave the impression that certain racial
groups are more violent than others. Some racial groups are represented in
higher numbers in violence statistics. But the reason is that some racial
groups are poorer, on average, than others. When poor communities with
different racial groups are compared, the homicide rates are similar.
Family Violence Children who grow up in violent homes-who
witness violence or are victims of violence-are more apt to use violence
to solve their own problems. Violence may be the only strategy they have
been taught for solving problems. Children who are neglected are also
more likely than other children to respond to conflict with violence.
Children can learn to avoid violence if adults don 't use violence to
solve their own problems or to discipline children. Parents reveal their
values about violence by the toys they buy and the television shows they
allow their children to watch. They also pass along their values by shar-
ing how they feel about violence.
What kinds of children's toys do you think might
promote violence?
FIGURE 2 In poor communities,
the buildings and streets are often
in need of repair. These conditions
can add to a person's frustration
and anger.
164 Chapter 7
Is performing violent acts
Violence in Video Games necessary to win the game?
Is the effect of the violence
People who play violen t video gam es often take on
on the victim ignored?
t he role of assailant. What effect might identify ing
with an assailant have on a player or group of play- Are women depicted as
ers? Studies have linked violent video games to an sexual objects?
increase in a player's level of aggression. Use this
Does the video game package
checklist to evaluat e t he content of a video game .
use violence to make the
game look exciting?
Does the video game have a
mature or adults only rating?
Two or mor e "Yes" answers may indicate a vid eo
game with a high level of violent content.
Look at t he packaging for a few video
games that have a mature rating . Is vio-
lence used to sell these games? Provide some exam-
ples to suppor t your answer. Do the text and visuals
make you want to play the game? ·~'l;liilrnl
Media Violence In the first cartoons you watched , the characters
may have attacked each other and lived to fight anot her day. These car-
toons were likely your first example of media violence. The media uses
the excitement provi ded by violence to keep you glued to the screen . An
action hero may use violence to kill or capt ure a villain. Or an expert in
self-defense may take on 10 villains and beat them all. Viewers may be left
with the impression tha t violence is a reasona ble response to many situ -
ations . But violence in the world beyond television and the movies creates
more pro blems than it solves.
People's att itudes and behavior can be shaped by the violence they
see in th e med ia. This is especially true of youn g children beca use their
actual life experience is limite d. Children may th ink what th ey see on
television or in the movies is really happening . Children who witness
a lot of med ia violence may grow up with an exaggerated sense of th e
amo unt of violence in the world . They also may tend to react with vio-
lence when they face a threaten ing situation in th eir own lives.
The way women are portraye d and treate d in the me dia is also an
issue. Some types of music and mus ic videos can make people think that
violence towar d women is acceptable. There may be a link between these
media portrayals and the rise in dating violence, rape, an d other forms of
violence toward women.
PreventingViolence 165
FIGURE 3 When people buy
handguns for protection, they may
take a course to learn how to
handle the gun safely. Too often, Availability of Weapons The relationship between weapons and
howe ve r, handgun s kept in a home violence is controversial. Most people agree that when weapons are used
are used to harm family memb ers in fights, fights are more deadly. But some people don 't think that the
and friends .
availability of weapons is an important risk factor for violence. They point
to countries such as Switzerland, where guns are found in nearly every
household. Yet homicide rates in Switzerland are very low.
In the United States, handguns are used in the majorit y of homicides
and suicides. Every 18 minutes someone in the United States dies from a
gunshot wound. If firearms were not available, could these deaths be pre-
vented? Experts do not know the answer.
The cycle of violence related to firearms seems difficult to break.
When the homicide rate rises, fear of violence increases. More people pur-
chase handguns for protection. But having a gun in the home can be more
dangerous than not having one. The risk is even greater when the gun
and the ammunition are not stored in separate locked locations.
Drug Abuse Would it surpris e you to learn that at least 30 percent
of homicide victims have alcohol in their blood? Would you expect the
percentage to be th e same or higher for assailants?
The reasons why alcohol use increases the risk of violence are not
entirely clear. Researchers do know that alcohol affects the brain, cloud-
ing a person 's judgment. This lack of judgment may lead people to say or
do thin gs that they ordinarily would not. This behavior may lead to a
fight. In some cases, however, alcohol is used as an excuse or "to get up the
nerve " to carry out preplanned acts of violence .
Drugs other than alcoho l are also linked to violence . Like alcohol,
illegal drugs, such as crack cocaine, can affect a person 's judgment. In
addition, people who are addicted to drugs may resort to robb ery or other
crimes to get money for drugs. Also, because man y illegal drugs are sold
for a large profit , the people who sell drug s often carry weapons.
From what you have observed, how does alcohol
or other drugs affect a person's behavior?
166 Chapter 7
Membership in Gangs The term gang
is used to describe a varie ty of groups, from
loose bands of rowdy teens to criminal organ-
izations. You can think of a gang as a type of
clique . Gang members have similar back-
grounds or interests. They are often subject to
significant peer pressure . Because gangs don't
readily associate with people who are perceived
as different, their members are often isolated
from the rest of the community.
Territorialgangs are groups that are organ-
ized to control a specific neighborhood or "turf."
They are also referred to as "fighting" gangs because
the y will fight those who intrude on their turf. Most
territorial gangs sell drugs and man y are involved in
other criminal behaviors. About two-thirds of terri-
torial gang members are adults . They recruit
students from poor or troubled families. The recruits
may know of no way, other than gang membership, to
FIGURE 4 One way to reduce
gain a sense of belonging and protection.
violence is to offer choices for gang
Members of a gang may wear certain colors and jewelry, and use members. This bakery in Los
"secret" hand signs to identify themselve s as gang members . A gang may Angeles was part of a community-
hold elaborate initiation ceremonies. To join a gang, new members may based effort to provide jobs for
former gang members .
undergo a beating. Or gang leaders may order them to commit a crime,
such as robbery, kidnapping , rape, or murder. Quitting a gang can be
much harder than joining one. ..
In many communities gang violence is·a serious and growing prob-
lem. This is true for communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Health and Community
Section 1 Review Survivors of Violence Sometimes survivors of
violent acts or the families of victims who did not
Key Ideas and Vocabulary survive find positive ways to deal with their pain
1. How are victim and assailant defined? and grief. They may form groups to advocate
2. List two possible costs of violence for a victim, an against violence. Find out what anti-violence
assailant, and society as a whole. groups there are in your community. Then write a
paragraph summarizing your findings. ,~,, ilii 1m1
3. What are six risk factors for violence?
4. What is a territorial gang?
6. Evaluating Which of the risk factors for violence
Critical Thinking do you think is most important? Give a reason for
5. Predicting What is the possible cost to a victim of your answer.
repeated threats of violence?
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