What is Violence?
Intro to Aggression + Violence
Animal Aggression
Aggression has its origins in animal studies – a basic instinct to ensure survival.
A typology of animal aggression (Renfrew, 1997):
- Predatory aggression (against prey)
- Inter-male aggression (dominance, hierarchy)
- Fear-induced aggression (when confined)
- Irritable aggression (anger, rage)
- Maternal aggression (protecting offspring)
- Sex-related aggression (similar to inter-male)
Human Aggression
Some have tried to draw parallels between animal aggression and human aggression
- so have defined human aggression in a similar way
Jones (2000, p.4) - aggression may be seen as a basic human instinct and a desirable
attribute in a competitive world
But this is problematic – predisposition towards aggression does not necessarily
result in aggressive behaviour among humans
Siann (1985) – to gain advantage over another person without necessarily involving
physical injury
- So, aggression is not necessarily bad.
Agression can take different forms (Renfrew (1997, p.5))
Can be positive agression (i.e. gaining advantage over another person) and negative
aggression (i.e. harming others)
Violence: Towards a Definition
Is violence just a serious form of aggression?
- Anderson and Bushman (2002) – violence is aggression that has extreme harm
as its goal (e.g. death, serious injury)
Concept of “low level violence” is problematic (e.g. Goldstein, 2002) – also thin skull
rule?
Is violence just that which is criminal?
- What about self-defence?
Intro to Aggression + Violence
Animal Aggression
Aggression has its origins in animal studies – a basic instinct to ensure survival.
A typology of animal aggression (Renfrew, 1997):
- Predatory aggression (against prey)
- Inter-male aggression (dominance, hierarchy)
- Fear-induced aggression (when confined)
- Irritable aggression (anger, rage)
- Maternal aggression (protecting offspring)
- Sex-related aggression (similar to inter-male)
Human Aggression
Some have tried to draw parallels between animal aggression and human aggression
- so have defined human aggression in a similar way
Jones (2000, p.4) - aggression may be seen as a basic human instinct and a desirable
attribute in a competitive world
But this is problematic – predisposition towards aggression does not necessarily
result in aggressive behaviour among humans
Siann (1985) – to gain advantage over another person without necessarily involving
physical injury
- So, aggression is not necessarily bad.
Agression can take different forms (Renfrew (1997, p.5))
Can be positive agression (i.e. gaining advantage over another person) and negative
aggression (i.e. harming others)
Violence: Towards a Definition
Is violence just a serious form of aggression?
- Anderson and Bushman (2002) – violence is aggression that has extreme harm
as its goal (e.g. death, serious injury)
Concept of “low level violence” is problematic (e.g. Goldstein, 2002) – also thin skull
rule?
Is violence just that which is criminal?
- What about self-defence?
