The use of weapons to threaten or attack is a form of violence.
From the Latin violentĭa , violence is the quality of violent or the action and effect of violating or becoming violent. The violent, for its part, is that which is outside its natural state, situation or manner; that is executed with force, impetus or abruptness ; or that is done against one's own taste or will.
Violence, therefore, is a deliberate behavior that can cause physical or psychological harm to others. It is important to keep in mind that, beyond physical aggression, violence can be emotional through offenses or threats. That is why violence can cause both physical and psychological consequences.
The triangle of violence
There are many theories about violence and among them the one known as the triangle of violence stands out, which was developed by the Norwegian sociologist Johan Galtung , one of the most important experts on social conflicts and peace.
With that terminology, what he does is establish the connection and relationship that exists between the three types of violence that he considers to exist in society. That is, between cultural , structural and direct violence.
The first, the so-called cultural , is what is manifested through works of art, science or religion, among other areas. The second, mentioned as structural , is the one that is considered the most dangerous of all of them because it is the one that originates, through various systems, as a consequence of not being able to or not seeing the needs that one has satisfied.
And finally there is direct violence , which is violence that is carried out physically or verbally against people, against the environment or against the property of society in general. Robberies, murders, damage to natural resources or attacks on buildings are some of the most common manifestations of this type of violence.
In some contexts, violence is accepted and does not constitute a crime.
imposition by force
Violence seeks to impose or obtain something by force . There are many forms of violence that are punished as crimes by law . In any case, it is important to keep in mind that the concept of violence varies according to culture and time.
There are societies where, for example, women are forced to marry the man who chooses or buys them, something that, for the Western world, constitutes a form of violence against the female gender.
It is important to emphasize that unfortunately in recent years, what is known as gender violence has acquired a great presence in society around the world. This is what occurs on a person based on their sex or gender; however, it is fundamentally used to refer to what men exert on their women.
Legalized violence
On the other hand, there are violent demonstrations that are approved by the law and by the State . For example, the death penalty is legal in many democratic countries, such as the United States . However, many civil associations consider that all murder (whether legal or not) is a violation of human rights.
Finally, it is worth remembering that Mahatma Gandhi , one of the greatest exponents of non-violence and pacifism, recognized that there is no person completely free of violence, since this is an innate characteristic of human beings.