Cultures of Violence

The motivations behind intimate partner violence (IPV) have been a controversial topic. It has been suggested that women's use of IPV mainly occurs in the context of selfdefense (Saunders 1986). However, men also report perpetrating IPV in self-defense (Harned 2001; Makepeace 1986). This article differentiates self-defense from retaliation and reviews findings regarding these motives for perpetrators of IPV. Selfdefense motives are common among battered women; however, undergraduates and arrested perpetrators often report other motives. Women do not consistently report using violence in self-defense more than men do. Clinical and research implications are discussed and existing self-defense measures are critiqued.

Intimate partner violence refers to any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in that relationship (WHO). Correlation between perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence and childhood violence experiences of abusers have been endorsed by theory of cycle of violence since long while feminist theorists presume that an entrenched patriarchal societal configuration and an inbuilt asymmetrical power distribution among men and women are the main culprits of transmission of intimate partner violence. At the same time socio-cultural theorists suggest that the traditions and norms which sanction violence and its tolerability aggravated by attitude of humanity towards gender inequity since childhood exacerbate the situation. This article attempts to give invigorate emphasis to the relevance and importance of understanding the version of intimate partner violence from the perpetrator's perspectives to have an inclusive understanding of this violence and their violent deeds. In this study author seeks to find out the prevalence of men's perpetration of different types of violence against their intimate female partners in four districts of Gujarat, India with a descriptive study in which a multistage random sampling method is used to select the samples. Also an attempt is done to explore the correlations between intimate partner violence and men's early childhood gender inequality and violence experiences. Findings revealed statistically significant correlations between Intimate partner violence and men's childhood gender inequality and violence experiences.

Introduction Gang-related tattoos may increase an individual’s risk for violent victimization. We present our early experience using a physician-staffed tattoo removal initiative as 1 component of a violence prevention program. Methods Surgeons from our trauma department in partnership with a community advocacy group performed voluntary laser tattoo removal for individuals within our catchment area. Clients were asked to complete a voluntary, anonymous survey. This survey addressed tattoo acquisition, identified motives and goals for tattoo removal, and reported if those goals were met by the tattoo removal service. Issues involving gang affiliation and interpersonal violence were specifically queried. Results are listed as simple percentages. Results 81 of 122 (66%) program enrollees completed the survey. The average number of laser removal sessions at the time of questionnaire was 3 (range 1-15). 41% of respondents possessed gang or “crew” related tattoos. 22% of respondents posse...

Alcohol and drug misuse is prevalent and problematic among women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV). Emotional dysfunction has been identified as a key mechanism in the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of alcohol and drug misuse. However, existing research has not considered the role of race/ethnicity in the relations between emotional dysfunction and alcohol and drug misuse. Furthermore, past research in this area has focused almost exclusively on emotional dysfunction stemming from negative (vs. positive) emotions. The goals of the current study were as follows: (a) to explore whether levels of difficulties regulating positive emotions differ among Latina, African American, and White IPV-victimized women, and (b) to examine the moderating role of race/ethnicity in the relations between difficulties regulating positive emotions and alcohol and drug misuse. Participants were 197 IPV-victimized women recruited through the criminal justice system ( Mage = 36.14; 51.8% ...

I am jealous of that person who has more wealth than me, lives in a bigger house, has a precious car, or enjoys much more fame. Why do I envy someone? Why don't I come to terms with the people around me who are living better and more luxurious lives? The answer may not be very simple for many people. But it is not very difficult also to find out one. Jealousy is a negative sentiment. This manifests when a person feels threatened by the speculated worth of someone. This can be felt at every age and situation, from childhood

This qualitative analysis examines the emotions of eight women who perform physical aggression in violent intimate relationships. The study applies a sociological theory of emotions to assess their attitudes and motivations for IPV perpetration. A micro-level (e.g. individual emotive responses) and macro-level (e.g. exposure to violent cultures) analysis are included in the theoretical framework. The study includes a review of literature on motivations for women’s aggression including emotive factors, empirical classification, and research methods applied. The reported emotive responses reflect participants ’ perspectives of their past and present experiences of violence. Using interview data, this study describes participants ’ emotion-driven motivations for IPV perpetration alongside multiple socio-cultural contexts. The explored contexts of external motivations include child abuse, cultures of violence, and the availability of social support. These external motivations provide a ...

This qualitative analysis examines the emotions of eight women who perform physical aggression in violent intimate relationships. The study applies a sociological theory of emotions to assess their attitudes and motivations for IPV perpetration. A micro-level (e.g. individual emotive responses) and macro-level (e.g. exposure to violent cultures) analysis are included in the theoretical framework. The study includes a review of literature on motivations for women’s aggression including emotive factors, empirical classification, and research methods applied. The reported emotive responses reflect participants’ perspectives of their past and present experiences of violence. Using interview data, this study describes participants’ emotion-driven motivations for IPV perpetration alongside multiple socio-cultural contexts. The explored contexts of external motivations include child abuse, cultures of violence, and the availability of social support. These external motivations provide a de...

“¿Cuchillos afilados? De violencias, guerra civil y culturas bélicas en la España del primer siglo XX”, in Jordi Canal, Eduardo González Calleja (eds.), Guerras civiles. Una clave para entender la Europa de los siglos XIX y XX, Casa de Velázquez, Madrid, 2012, pp. 89-104.

Violence and authoritarianism continue to resonate in Cambodia’s post-transitional landscape, leading many scholars, journalists, international donors and non-governmental organisations alike to posit a ‘culture of violence’ as responsible for the country’s democratic deficit and enduring violence. In contrast, this paper interprets the culture of violence thesis as a sweeping caricature shot through with Orientalist imaginaries, and a problematic discourse that underwrites the process of neoliberalisation. The culture of violence argument is considered to invoke particular imaginative geographies that problematically erase the contingency, fluidity and interconnectedness of the places in which violence occurs. While violence is certainly mediated through both culture and place, following Doreen Massey’s re-conceptualisation of space and place, this paper understands place not as a confined and isolated unit, but as a relational constellation within the wider experiences of space. This reflection allows us to recognise that any seemingly local, direct or cultural expression of violence is necessarily imbricated in the wider, structural patterns of violence, which in the current moment of political economic orthodoxy increasingly suggests a relationship to neoliberalism. Through the adoption of the culture of violence discourse, neoliberalisation is argued to proceed in the Cambodian context as a ‘civilising’ enterprise, where Cambodians are subsequently imagined as ‘savage others’.