NCJ Number
147500
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: special issue (Fall 1993) Pages: 295-310
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
A social interactionist approach is applied to incidents of interpersonal violence in a variety of cultures; according to this pespective, individuals are decisionmakers who act in terms of benefits, costs, and moral values related to situational factors.
Abstract
This perspective provides an alternative framework to the frustration-aggression theory, which has been questioned on both theoretical and empirical grounds. The analysis considers violence to be like other forms of coercion in that it is goal-oriented behavior, designed to produce compliance, to restore retributive justice, and to assert and protect social identities. This approach emphasizes the role of grievances and social control, the escalation of coercive interactions when identities are attacked, and the role of third parties. The analysis suggests that the incentives for violence and other forms of coercion are similar in all cultures. The social organization and the availability of resources will affect the form, frequency, and intensity of conflicts, but conflict is related to the use of coercion in all societies. Notes and 71 references (Author abstract modified)