NCJ Number
97839
Date Published
1982
Length
194 pages
Annotation
This book examines the nature and extent of violence in society, challenges the assumption that violence is an inevitable part of human existence, and explains how a nonviolent society can be created.
Abstract
Violence is characterized as a disorder of human relationships rather than as a central facet of human nature. The sources of people's feelings of separateness from one another are examined. The ownership of guns to create a sense of security, the influence of television and movies, and the passive acceptance of the view that humans are violent by nature are discussed. The potential of family life for promoting cooperativeness and nonviolence is examined. Examples from several historical periods and various cultures are used to show how nonviolent approaches to problems have succeeded. The words and actions of Jesus, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and many others are quoted and described. Ways to use approaches recommended for eliminating violence in individuals and in groups to eliminate international war are explored. Practical ways of thinking and acting to produce a nonviolent world are explained. An index, chapter reference lists, and lists of additional readings and action guides are included.