This document provides a brief definition of violence as the use of force to kill, injure or abuse others. It then discusses types of interpersonal and intergroup violence. The document notes that globally, much violence is perpetrated against women. It discusses the positive impacts of the Violence Against Women Act in the US in reducing domestic violence rates. The document also notes declines in violent crime rates in the US between 2010-2011 based on FBI data. It discusses examples of politically and religiously motivated violence. The document suggests high rates of violence in the US may be influenced by media, gun access, and structural strains like poverty and inequality. It questions whether current violence levels are inevitable and discusses concepts like relative deprivation that can contribute to

1. A Brief Definition
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2. “In general,” it is the “…
use of force to kill,
injure, or abuse
others.”
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3.  Interpersonal Violence
 Intergroup violence
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4. 4

5. First think of the types of interpersonal
violence that come to mind.
Now state the types of intergroup violence that
come to mind.
Let’s make a list.
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14. Globally then, much of the
violence in the world is
perpetrated specifically against
women.
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18. VAWA has ensured that victims and their families
have access to the services they need to achieve
safety and rebuild their lives by:
 • responding to urgent calls for help by establishing
the National Domestic Violence Hotline…
 improving safety and reducing recidivism by
developing coordinated community responses…
 focusing attention on the needs of underserved
communities…
Fewer people are experiencing domestic violence.
 Between 1993 to 2010, the rate of intimate partner
violence declined 67%;
 Between 1993 to 2007, the rate of intimate partner
homicides of females decreased 35% and the rate of
intimate partner homicides of males decreased 46%.
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19. Additionally:
 All states have reformed laws that previously treated
date or spousal rape as a lesser crime than stranger rape;
 All states have passed laws making stalking a crime;
 All states have authorized warrantless arrests in
misdemeanor domestic violence cases where the
responding officer determines that probable cause exists;
 All states provide for criminal sanctions for the violation
of a civil protection order;
 Many states have passed laws prohibiting polygraphing
of rape victims;
 Over 35 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands have adopted laws addressing domestic
and sexual violence…

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20. Washington, D.C. June 11, 2012
FBI National Press Office (202) 324-36
Violent Crime
 In 2011, all four of the violent crime offense categories—murder and
nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated
assault—declined nationwide when compared with data from 2010.
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter declined 1.9 percent, while
forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault each declined 4.0 percent.
 Violent crime declined in all city groups. Cities with populations of
50,000 to 99,999 saw the largest decrease (5.2 percent) in violent crime.
Violent crime decreased 6.6 percent in metropolitan counties and 4.7
percent in nonmetropolitan counties.
 Within city groups, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses
increased the most (18.3 percent) in cities with populations under 10,000.
Cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999 showed the largest decrease of
murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses (14.4 percent).
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21.  All city groupings experienced a decline in forcible rapes except in
cities with 500,000 to 999,999 inhabitants, which had the increase in
forcible rapes (0.5 percent). Forcible rape offenses declined 6.8
percent in metropolitan counties and 9.0 percent in nonmetropolitan
counties.
 Robbery offenses decreased in all city groupings, with the greatest
decrease (5.3 percent) in cities with 50,000 to 99,999 inhabitants.
Robberies decreased 7.5 percent in metropolitan counties and 3.6
percent in nonmetropolitan counties.
 Aggravated assaults decreased in all city groups. Cities with 50,000
to 99,999 inhabitants experienced the largest decrease at 5.3 percent.
Aggravated assaults declined in both county groups, with a decrease
of 6.3 percent in metropolitan counties and 4.2 percent in
nonmetropolitan counties.
 Violent crime decreased in all four regions (4.9 percent in the
Midwest, 4.7 percent in the West, 4.5 percent in the South, and 0.8
percent in the Northeast).
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24.  Timothy McVeigh
 The Weathermen
 Tokyo Sarin gas of subways
 Waco Texas
 Eric Robert Rudolph (Atlanta
bombing and abortion clinic
bombings.)
 Iraq on a daily basis
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28. Thus, these were politically motivated. In some
cases the motivation is religious, or of a cult
nature.
But most of the violence we as a society
experience is at that liminal region where
intergroup and interpersonal violence overlap.
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31. Group Norms – such as
The fact that violence is what our culture
teaches us is a normal method of solving
problems.
The legitimated violence of authority against
its own citizenry. (DNC/Chicago in 1968)
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32. Indeed, it is stated in at least one text (Lauer and
Lauer 2006) that “Americans tend to expect and
approve violence in the name of social order.
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34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfevfJQtg_g
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36. The next video has nudity. That OK?
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40. Name some of the most likely
reasons (social facts/forces) that
are the cause for such high rates of
violence in America.
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41.  Media violence TV, Film, Music (possibly),
Video Games…
 Guns (they are everywhere).
 Structural strain – (relative deprivation)
 Poverty
 Unequal distribution of wealth
 Impossible standards of that wealth
 Disillusionment from efforts already made
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42. Is, then, violence at the levels we have
it now inevitable?
The text (Lauer and Lauer 2006)
suggests the possibility when it
states:
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43. “[P]olitical arrangements virtually
guarantee a certain amount of
violence in a society that has
groups with diverse and strong
beliefs, interests, and demands.”
The Lauers then give examples of
the KKK and other anti-imigrant
groups that have sprung up in
response to the inherent diversity
of our social structure.
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44.  If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have
guns (fallacy of appeal to prejudice—i.e.
emotional, not logical)
 How vulnerable are we to violence if we
give up our guns?
 Who should have guns?
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45.  How high is the homicide rate in the US
versus Europe?
 Discuss Columbine High School shooting.
 The rate of homicides with knives versus
firearms is about 1:5
 How effective are guns in the aggregate as a
means of self-protection? (See the following)
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46. NOTE: A study of firearm related deaths in the
state of Washington found that where guns
were kept in the household they were rarely
used to protect the owners. For every
instance of a homicide for self-protection,
there were 43 deaths of residents by suicide,
criminal homicide, or accidental gunshot.
Only one-half of one percent of the cases
involved the shooting of an intruder.
The researchers concluded that firearms in the
home increase the danger to the owner.
(Kellermann et al, 1992 in Lauer and Lauer)
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47. Just when do people, in the
aggregate, begin to demonstrate
resistance to change with the
possibility of violence?
Remember Davies and his infamous
J-curve?
Take a look:
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49. Davies is referencing the concept of
“relative deprivation.” Learn the
term. It is a condition in which one
group has more than another
group, the latter will feel
deprived. Additionally it means
that there is a widening gap
between what people want and
what they get—this leads to a
revolutionary situation.
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50. Further, people do not revolt
when the society is generally
impoverished. Rather, people
develop a revolutionary state
of mind when they sense a
thereat to their expectations of
greater opportunities to satisfy
needs.
Five Minute Write:
US revolution?
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