Definitions of violence

Definition of violence

The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death or psychological harm, the inclusion of the word ‘‘power,’’ in addition to the phrase "use of physical force," broadens the nature of a violent act and expands the conventional understanding of violence to include threats and intimidation. 

Thus, "the use of physical force or power" should be understood to include types of physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

This definition covers a broad range of outcomes – including psychological harm. This reflects a growing recognition of the need to include violence that does not necessarily result in injury or death, but that nonetheless poses a substantial burden on individuals and families and health care systems across the UK, and indeed worldwide. 

Many forms of violence against women, children and the elderly, for instance, can result in physical, psychological and social problems that do not necessarily lead to injury, disability or death. These consequences can be immediate, as well as latent, and can last for years after the initial abuse. Defining outcomes solely in terms of injury or death thus limits the understanding of the full impact of violence on individuals, communities and society at large.

Types of violence

Violence is divided into three categories according to characteristics of those committing the violent act:

·         Self-directed violence

·         Interpersonal violence

·         Collective violence

The nature of a violent act, can be categorised into the following three criteria:

·         Physical

·         Sexual

·         Psychological

This initial categorisation differentiates between violence a person inflicts upon himself or herself, violence inflicted by another individual or by a small group of individuals, and violence inflicted by larger groups, organised political groups, extremist groups and terrorist organisations. These three broad categories are each divided further to reflect more specific types of violence.

Self-directed violence

Self-directed violence is subdivided into suicidal behaviour and self-abuse. The former includes suicidal thoughts, attempted suicides – also called ‘‘deliberate self-injury/self harm’’. Self-abuse, in contrast, includes acts such as self-mutilation.

Interpersonal violence

Interpersonal violence is divided into three subcategories:

Domestic violence – violence largely between family members and intimate partners, usually, though not exclusively, taking place in the home. This group includes forms of violence such as child abuse, intimate partner violence and abuse of the elderly. 

Community violence – violence between individuals who are unrelated, and who may or may not know each other, generally taking place outside the home. This group includes youth violence, random acts of violence, rape or sexual assault by strangers, and violence in institutional settings such as schools, workplaces, prisons and nursing homes.

Sexual violence - is any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. It includes rape, which is defined as the physically forced or otherwise coerced sexual penetration.

Surveys based on reports from victims estimate that between 0.3 –11.5% of women reported experiencing sexual violence. Sexual violence has serious short- and long-term consequences on physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health for victims and for their children. Many of the risk factors for sexual violence are the same as Domestic violence. Risk factors specific to sexual violence include beliefs in family honour and sexual purity, the idea of male sexual entitlement and weak legislation/law for sexual violence.

Collective violence

Collective violence is subdivided into social, political and economic violence. Unlike the other two broad categories, the subcategories of collective violence suggest possible motives for violence committed by larger groups of individuals. Collective violence that is committed to advance a particular social agenda includes, for example, crimes of hate committed by organised groups, terrorist acts and mob violence. Political violence includes war and related violent conflicts.

Summation

Studies in a number of countries show that, for every homicide among young people age 10 to 24, 20 to 40 other young people receive hospital treatment for a violent injury.

Forms of violence such as child abuse and domestic violence are highly prevalent. Approximately 20% of women and 5–10% of men report being sexually abused as children, while 25–50% of all children report being physically abused. These studies have also found that between 15–71% of women reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

Beyond deaths and injuries, highly prevalent forms of violence have serious life-long non-injury health consequences. Victims may engage in high-risk behaviours such as alcohol and substance misuse, in attempt to disengage or blank out the act of violence they have been a victim of, which in turn can contribute to life threatening disorders that may result in premature death.