You types of violence they are different categories that help us to understand this complex social problem. One of the typologies used was proposed by World Health Organization (WHO), which also understands violence as a public health problem that is classified as: self-inflicted, collective and interpersonal. This last category is divided into domestic (or family) violence and community violence. It is possible to classify violence, according to nature, in: psychological, physical, sexual, moral and negligence.
Read too: Urban violence—a growing problem affecting cities around the world
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary of the types of violence
- 2 - What are the types of violence?
- 3 - What is violence?
- 4 - What are the most common types of violence in Brazil?
Summary on types of violence
The types of violence, according to WHO, are: self-inflicted violence, interpersonal violence and collective violence.
Interpersonal violence is divided into domestic or community violence, and can be classified, according to its nature, into physical, psychological, sexual, moral, property and negligence.
Violence is understood as a social and public health problem.
At the Brazil, interpersonal violence is the most common type of violence, with high numbers of intentional violent deaths and cases of domestic violence.
The high homicide rate registered in the country places Brazil in eighth place among the 10 most violent countries in the world.
What are the types of violence?
There are several classifications that seek to make the process of understanding what violence is less complex, which can be understood both as a social problem and as a public health problem. Therefore, one of the most used typologies is the one elaborated by the World Health Organization (WHO), which identifies three types of violence:
→ Self-inflicted violence: as the name implies, it is the violence that a person commits against himself. There is no participation of third parties in the acts. Examples: self-mutilation and suicide.
→ Interpersonal violence: are acts of violence committed by one person against another. This type of violence is subdivided into three other forms:
- Intimate or family violence: Violent acts are committed between members of a family, between spouses or between partners who maintain an intimate or stable relationship. Also classified as domestic violence. Examples:violence against women, femicide, abuse of children and the elderly.
- Community violence: Violent acts are committed against or between unknown persons, that is, who are not related in any way and who do not maintain a relationship of any kind. Examples: aggression towards strangers on the street, crimes against property, workplace violence.
→ Collective violence: Violent acts are committed by an organized group of individuals for specific reasons, which may be social, political or economic. Examples: terrorist acts, wars, genocide of ethnicities or social groups.
As you can see, interpersonal violence has different natures, whether it is committed against family members or against third parties. A WHO identifies the following types of interpersonal violence: physical, sexual, psychological and per negligence. In addition to these four forms, the Maria da Penha Institute (IMP) highlights moral violence (slander, defamation, injury) and property violence (theft, embezzlement, theft of objects, control of money and property, etc.) as types of domestic violence committed by a partner intimate.
Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)
What is violence?
Violence is a complex phenomenon that can be understood as a social problem of a historical nature that persists due to socioeconomic and spatial inequalities, the neglect of the State towards the poorest populations vulnerable and above all due to the existence of a flawed judicial system that is unable to prevent or rigidly punish violent acts and criminals. In the case of violence against women, it is not uncommon to become aware of reports indicating problems in the care and reception of victims and whistleblowers.
Violence is also analyzed from a health point of view, being considered a public health problem that generates a series of consequences for the body and emotions of those who are victims of violent acts of any nature. In this sense, we can also use the WHO definition for the concept of violence, in free translation:
Intentional use of physical power or force, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which results in or is likely to result in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.
Read too: What is a crime against humanity?
What are the most common types of violence in Brazil?
Brazil ranks eighth in the ranking of the most violent countries in the world produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), taking into account the rate of violent deaths that occurred in the territory national. This information and data collected by the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP), together with the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), indicate that the Physical interpersonal violence is one of the most common types of violence.us in Brazil.
The FBSP annual report shows that the country recorded 47,503 intentional violent deaths in the year 2021, of which 20,500 took place in Northeast region, focusing mainly on the state of bahia. It should be noted that the main victims are adolescents and young people (15 to 29 years old) and black people. According to the Atlas of Violence, the chance of a black person being murdered in Brazil is 2.6 times greater than a non-black person.
More recent data collected by the G1 indicate that the downward trend in intentional violent deaths continues, and between January and September 2022, the total was 30,200 deaths. Despite the drop, some states registered an increase in the number of deaths, as was the case of Rondônia.|1|
A domestic violence is another common type of violence in Brazil. The crime of femicide claimed 1341 victims in the country in 2021, while almost 221,000 women were victims of assault and bodily injury. In the same year, 463 thousand urgent protective measures were issued by the Courts of Justice throughout the national territory, as shown in the FBSP yearbook published in 2022.
Violence against children and adolescents, which includes aggression and negligence, also falls into this category. In recent years, physical and psychological violence has also increased against specific groups, such as the population LGBTQIA+ and the black population.
Note
|1| VELASCO, Clara. Murders fall 3% in the first nine months of 2022 in Brazil; fall slows down in the 3rd quarter. G1, 02 Dec. 2022. Available here.
By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher
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