Types of Violence – The Vulnerable Being Abused By The Vicious

Did you know that the act of violence is always an act of control and it is not always physical. This article will provide you the facts about violence to include the types of violence between the perpetrator and victims. Also, I’ll detail the four degrees of violence inflicted upon victims: physical, sexual, psychological, and neglect.

Violence Definition – More Than Just Physical and It Is About Control.

There are a lot of definitions of violence. Many definitions focus on just physical violence, but that may be short-sighted. Indeed, violence is a controlling act that may start as physical or a threat of physical harm. If unchecked, violence will continue its control by increasingly more violent acts. Further, violence is not just physical. Other types of violence include psychological or even just plain neglect. Below is a definition of violence:

“The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.”

Some Facts About Violence.

Even though we humans appear to be less violent than past generations, every year more than 1.6 million people die from violence. Surprisingly, more than 80% of these deaths occur outside armed conflicts. These numbers do not include the countless millions who are the victims of violence each year. Violence is not only destructive to people, it has an economic impact as well. In 2015 it was estimated that violence had a negative impact on the world economy estimated at $13.6 trillion. This figure is equivalent to 13.3% of the world GDP. These numbers are symptoms of underlying social, economic, and challenges we face in curbing violence. See SaferSpaces’ What is Violence? for more facts about violence.

Understanding the Different Types of Violence. 

There are a wide range of violent acts. First, it is best to categorize them by who the perpetrators are in relationship to their victims. Then, specify the degrees of violence. Below, I’ll describe these different violent relationships that a victim can encounter, and the degrees of violence that a perpetrator can inflict on a victim.

Three Types of Violence Between a Perpetrator and a Victim.

1. Self-Directed Violence.

This is where a person inflicts harm upon themselves. This includes self-abuse (ex. self mutilation), behavior (ex. attempts suicide), self-abuse (such as self-mutilation), or suicidal behavior (including suicidal thoughts).

2. Interpersonal Violence.

This is where one or more persons inflicts violence on another individual or small group of individuals. This includes:

• Family / Intimate Partner Violence. This type of violence usually takes place in the home and includes violence such as child abuse, spousal abuse, honor killings and elderly abuse.
• Community Violence. This type of violence usually takes place outside the home. This can include vandalism, school shootings, bullying, riots, violent crime, and sexual assault This also includes institutional violence such as at schools, workplaces, prisons and nursing homes.

3. Collective Violence.

This where violence is used as an instrument by one group of people against another group of people. This collective violence can be used to achieve political, economic or social objectives. Examples of collective violence would include war, genocide, repression, terrorism and organised violent crime. Collective violence also includes governments using the legal system and legitimate force to regulate violence, enforce laws and maintain the status quo.

Four Degrees of Violence. 

There are four degrees of violence that can occur in each of the types of violence categories mentioned above. These degrees of violence include:

1. Physical Violence.

This is the intentional use of physical force, used with the potential for causing harm, injury, disability or death. This includes, but is not limited to: scratching, pushing, shoving, grabbing, biting, choking, shaking, slapping, punching, hitting, or burning. Also, this can include the use of a weapon, use of restraint, or even the use of one’s body against another person.

2. Sexual Violence.

This is a sexual act committed or attempted against a victim who has not freely given consent. Also, this includes a victim that is unable to consent or refuse. Further, sexual violence includes, but is not limited to: forced, alcohol/drug-facilitated or unwanted penetration, sexual touching, or non-contact acts of a sexual nature. Lastly, a perpetrator forcing or coercing a victim to engage in sexual acts with a third party also qualifies as sexual violence.

3. Psychological Violence (Emotional or Mental Abuse).

Human Indifference Is Soaring Because Of These Five Unique Reasons

This includes verbal and non-verbal communication used with the intent to harm another person mentally or emotionally. Additionally, this includes a perpetrator who exerts control over another person. In an on-going violent situation, physical violence may have been used once or twice, and then psychological violence continues to coerce and keep control of the victim. For example, psychological violence includes humiliating, limiting access to things or people, and excessive monitoring of a person’s whereabouts. Also, it includes threats of physical or sexual violence, control of reproductive or sexual health, stalking, and exploitation of a person’s vulnerability (e.g., immigration status or disability).

4. Neglect or Deprivation.

This type of abuse occurs when someone has the responsibility to provide care for an individual who is unable to care for themselves, but the responsible person fails to do so. As a result, the victim is deprived of adequate care. For example, neglect may include the failure to provide sufficient supervision, nourishment, or medical care. Also, it can include the failure to fulfill other needs for which the victim cannot provide themselves.

See Wikipedia and SafeSpaces for more on types of violence.

Illegal Immigration: 10 Reasons Behind This Tremendous Tragedy

For more information from Unvarnished Facts on human rights, click here.