DISCLAIMER:
I do not claim this information as my own. These notes were made using
reading material supplied by my lecturer.
, Unit 4 – Gratuitous Violence In SA
Intro:
• Sometimes people state that violent crime is a global trend. Perhaps but in South Africa it Commented [MHS1]: Often involves actions which seem
to be sadistic or gratuitous
is exceptionally brutal. Consider our crime statistics and the violent nature of many of
these contact crimes (E.g., murder, rape, robbery, and assault). Nature of gender-based Commented [MHS2]: Violent crime in SA in sometimes
said to be unusual bcs. it is perceived to frequently be
violence and domestic violence. Level of violence during protest and strikes. Violence gratuitous
during mob attacks. Violence during farm attacks, home invasions and xenophobic
attacks.
• The subjective definition of gratuitous violence is based on an understanding of the word
gratuitous as meaning 'for nothing', and therefore excludes violence that has a well-
established purpose, whether this is instrumental or expressive in nature. An absence of
empathy and morals are strong features in this type of violence.
• Describing violence as “gratuitous violence” implies that it is carried out “for nothing” or
“purely for its own sake”. It may also be called “unnecessary” violence. When people Commented [MHS3]: Gratuitous violence implies that
describe violence as gratuitous or unnecessary, this is often a moral judgement or reflects ‘empathy deficits’ might be a characteristic of perps
their feelings that much of the violence defies comprehension.
• Thus, one aspect of some robberies is the relatively small amount of money or low value
of property that is taken. That a person may be hurt, or even killed, for something like a
mobile phone may indicate that little significance is given by the perpetrator to the
consequences of his or her violence.
• The perpetrator shows unnecessary violence after they have attained their instrumental
goal during a robbery (e.g., a successful home invasion or farm attack). The perpetrator
who shows gratuitous violence seems to be oblivious to the impact of severely assaulting
the victim without any need for it. To put it into perspective, a perpetrator can take a life Commented [MHS4]: People are killed or harmed in
for a very small gain (e.g., ambush a person, assault him / her severely with an iron pipe, robberies bcs. of resistance or non-cooperation
tie a noose around their neck, tie them to a tree, stab them several times and douse them
in petrol after which the perpetrator sets them on fire for the instrumental gain of a wallet
containing R 20, 00 and a worthless lotto ticket). In this scenario gratuitous violence was
used without weighing up the consequences of taking a person’s life for the small gain.
• Instrumental violence is orientated towards a practical purpose. For instance, during the
course of a robbery the robbers might threaten their victims with the use of violence.
Where they actually use physical violence this is often for one or other practical purpose,
such as to defend themselves against violent resistance from the victim, or force the
victim to cooperate with them (for instance to provide information on where valuables or
firearms might be found), or to defend themselves against police officers who are trying
to prevent their escape.
• Expressive violence has been defined as 'emotionally satisfying violence without
economic gain'. Expressive violence may include violence that expresses anger, hatred, or
the need to feel respected or in control, or (particularly in the case of sadistic violence)
satisfies the urge to obtain gratification by hurting other people.
2
I do not claim this information as my own. These notes were made using
reading material supplied by my lecturer.
, Unit 4 – Gratuitous Violence In SA
Intro:
• Sometimes people state that violent crime is a global trend. Perhaps but in South Africa it Commented [MHS1]: Often involves actions which seem
to be sadistic or gratuitous
is exceptionally brutal. Consider our crime statistics and the violent nature of many of
these contact crimes (E.g., murder, rape, robbery, and assault). Nature of gender-based Commented [MHS2]: Violent crime in SA in sometimes
said to be unusual bcs. it is perceived to frequently be
violence and domestic violence. Level of violence during protest and strikes. Violence gratuitous
during mob attacks. Violence during farm attacks, home invasions and xenophobic
attacks.
• The subjective definition of gratuitous violence is based on an understanding of the word
gratuitous as meaning 'for nothing', and therefore excludes violence that has a well-
established purpose, whether this is instrumental or expressive in nature. An absence of
empathy and morals are strong features in this type of violence.
• Describing violence as “gratuitous violence” implies that it is carried out “for nothing” or
“purely for its own sake”. It may also be called “unnecessary” violence. When people Commented [MHS3]: Gratuitous violence implies that
describe violence as gratuitous or unnecessary, this is often a moral judgement or reflects ‘empathy deficits’ might be a characteristic of perps
their feelings that much of the violence defies comprehension.
• Thus, one aspect of some robberies is the relatively small amount of money or low value
of property that is taken. That a person may be hurt, or even killed, for something like a
mobile phone may indicate that little significance is given by the perpetrator to the
consequences of his or her violence.
• The perpetrator shows unnecessary violence after they have attained their instrumental
goal during a robbery (e.g., a successful home invasion or farm attack). The perpetrator
who shows gratuitous violence seems to be oblivious to the impact of severely assaulting
the victim without any need for it. To put it into perspective, a perpetrator can take a life Commented [MHS4]: People are killed or harmed in
for a very small gain (e.g., ambush a person, assault him / her severely with an iron pipe, robberies bcs. of resistance or non-cooperation
tie a noose around their neck, tie them to a tree, stab them several times and douse them
in petrol after which the perpetrator sets them on fire for the instrumental gain of a wallet
containing R 20, 00 and a worthless lotto ticket). In this scenario gratuitous violence was
used without weighing up the consequences of taking a person’s life for the small gain.
• Instrumental violence is orientated towards a practical purpose. For instance, during the
course of a robbery the robbers might threaten their victims with the use of violence.
Where they actually use physical violence this is often for one or other practical purpose,
such as to defend themselves against violent resistance from the victim, or force the
victim to cooperate with them (for instance to provide information on where valuables or
firearms might be found), or to defend themselves against police officers who are trying
to prevent their escape.
• Expressive violence has been defined as 'emotionally satisfying violence without
economic gain'. Expressive violence may include violence that expresses anger, hatred, or
the need to feel respected or in control, or (particularly in the case of sadistic violence)
satisfies the urge to obtain gratification by hurting other people.
2
