Violence in Society

Violence in society is the main reason women need to be familiar with self defense. We are exposed to violence at every turn. It is featured on television, video games, at the movie theater and even books.

Of course, we all have a choice as to what we watch, play and read, at least the adults do. Our children naturally require our guidance and it is up to us as parents to provide, even insist on it.

The propensity to violence is hard wired into the structure of our brains. This is not to say that humans automatically engage in violence, but that we are prone to violence, that we possess the genetic structure to become violent.

According to Vincent J. Granito, Jr., Ph.D. , there are three categories of theories as to what causes violence in society and ways to deal with each category.

1. First there is the biological approach. Several research projects suggest that violent animal and people have shown abnormal structures in the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Chemicals such as serotonin and testosterone as well as substances like alcohol have been linked to increased aggression. For cases such as this treatment may range medication to surgery.


2. The second there is the frustration-aggression approach. This simple says that people become aggressive and violent when they are blocked from some goal. Of course, not everyone automatically becomes violent; it has been found that frustration leads to an emotional readiness to become violent. The deciding factor is how the individual analyzes the frustration. The treatment here would be building self awareness, teaching consequences and changing the individuals thought pattern.


3. The third theory is called the learning approach. This states that individuals will learn to continue to be violent as long as they are rewarded for it. The reward may be power, praise or increased status. For example if a bully gains respect or power because of his behaviors he will be positively reinforced to continue to be violent. Also, if a child is brought up in a home or neighborhood where violence is prevalent, he will be more likely to continue those behaviors into his adulthood as well. Treatment would be to learn traits such as empathy, cooperation, self-restraint and resilience.

Some believe the history of violence in society against women is tied to the history viewed as property and a gender role assigned to be subservient to men and even other women. Until the 1870s in the US it was a common-law principle that a husband had the right to "physically chastise an errant wife".

In 1891 the UK removed the traditional right of a husband to inflict "moderate corporal punishment” on his wife in order to keep her "within the bounds of duty".

The World Health Organization reports that violence places an undue burden on health care service. Studies have shown a link between poor treatment of women and international violence. One of the best predictors of intra- and international violence is the maltreatment of women in society.

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