Lecture 1 Flashcards
What is violence?
actual, attempted, or threatened infliction of bodily harm of another person that is deliberate and nonconsenting”
must affect someone other than the perpetrator of violence
Does self-harm count as violence?
yes, if it also causes harm to another
Physical Harm
what most of us think of as violence
Assault
ex. assault - use of deadly force (serious physical harm, assault with a weapon, sexual)
Psychological Harm
fear of physical injury, or psychological consequences that substantially interfere with a person’s health or well-being
Threats, intimidation, forced confinement
Can happen without physical harm
Would to include mild ones - feelings of frustration or distress - this would result from insults
Reasonable person test
“if you were in that position, would you be fearful?”
Diversity of violence
A potential victim finding plans written by the perpetrator about how they intend to carry out violence against them
A health care professional denying medical care to a patient they dislike.
A group of individuals conspiring to commit violence (e.g., group or gang violence).
Violence must be ____ rather than purely accidental
intentionally committed
Why does true accidents don’t count as violence?
The perpetrator has chosen to engage in a behaviour that they know (or should know) is likely to cause physical harm or
serious psychological harm. For our purposes, true accidents do not count for our definition of violence.
Violence can be…
intentional or reckless/negligent
Violence must be non-consensual and illegal
here are many instances in society where behaviours that would otherwise
count as violence are socially acceptable
Sometimes societal values can condone violence in ways that would be considered unacceptable for our
purposes.
we must be ready to use our own discretion in these cases
there was time when it was completely legal for a husband to assault his wife
Impact of violence
Physical Harm
Psychological Harm
Physical Harm of Violence
Physical Injuries
1. Acute
2. Chronic
Acute (physical harm)
an injury that occurs suddenly
can range from minor (small cuts and bruises) to severe (internal bleeding)
Chronic (physical harm)
longer term injuries that develop over time
can also range from minor (headaches) to severe (major chronic pain, loss of function)
Psychological Harm of Violence
Trauma
1. Acute
2. Chronic
Impact to daily life
Acute (psychological harm)
nervousness, hypervigilance, nightmares
Chronic (psychological harm)
MDD, PTSD, phobias
Impact to daily life (psychological harm)
Impacts the victim’s relationships with the perpetrator
and any other involved parties.
Future partners.
* Feelings of shame, anger, blame.
Productivity – Hard to focus on work or hobbies when
dealing with violence.
* Might make it difficult to focus on anything enjoyable
Categories of Violence
- Self-Directed Violence
- Collective Violence
- Interpersonal Violence
Self-directed violence
- suicidal behaviour (thoughts, attempts)
- self-abuse (self-harm, self-mutilation)
Collective Violence
social violence - terrorist acts, organized hate crimes
political violence - war and related conflicts
economic violence - denying people access to essential services, attacks disputing economies
Interpersonal Violence
community violence - random acts, stranger assaults, intentional violence (workplace, school, prison)
family violence - child abuse, elder abuse, intimate partner violence