‘Violence has meaning’: what drives people to use it?
Violence such as assault or head-butting causes pain, shock and distress. It is often seen as savage or senseless. But for those who commit it, violence has meaning, argues violence researcher Don Weenink in his inaugural lecture.
Weenink, Professor of Violence and Policing, has spent more than 15 years studying video footage of violent incidents to understand why people resort to violence. His work focuses on interpersonal violence – street fights, robberies and vigilante actions – as well as collective forms of violence, such as the Covid riots in Rotterdam in 2021.
In his inaugural lecture on 2 March, Keerpunten naar geweld(loosheid) (Turning points to (non-)violence), Weenink will outline how he understands violence, what motivates perpetrators and what he calls the ‘turning points’: the moments at which a situation escalates and violence becomes an option. ‘Take remarks like, “I’m giving you one last warning” or “We’re coming for you.” In some parts of the world, simply shouting “Thief!” in a crowded street can be enough to trigger violent retaliation, he explains.
Violence as socially meaningful
Turning points allow perpetrators give social meaning to their actions. ‘Take an example from the United States’, Weenink says. ‘Someone throws bottles at a car. The furious driver gets out and shouts: “Don’t touch my car”. For him, that is all the justification he needs for the violence that follows. In societies where defending valuable possessions is seen as the expression of autonomy and masculinity, those who use violence assume that “everyone” understands this as a reason for hitting the person who threw the bottle. The turning point has been reached.’
Understanding violence
Extreme acts of violence, such as head-butting, are seen as impulsive, irrational and chaotic. The perpetrator is dehumanised, and the term ‘senseless violence’ is used. ‘I understand why people use that term to express their anger, grief and disbelief. The suffering is immense. As humans, we find it terrible and may not want to make sense of it. But as a researcher, I need to ask how and why people resort to violence. I want to understand what drives them. More into violence and law enforcement can help us reduce this suffering.’
‘Group violence can generate collective feelings of excitement and dominance.’
Dominating the victim
Group dynamics play an important role in many violent situations: whether these involve young men looking for victims or demonstrators confronting the police. ‘Group violence can generate collective feelings of excitement and dominance. We see this in youth violence, in attacks on the police and in lynchings. These groups are usually made up of men. But most violence is committed by a small group of repeat offenders. Most men are rarely, if ever, violent. For many repeat offenders, their violence often stems from years of feeling humiliated or mistreated. That all feeds into it.’
Talking to colleagues
Weenink processes the videos he studies by talking with colleagues. ‘I tell them when I’m struggling with the disturbing images, and especially the sounds. I forget the images more quickly, but the sounds stay with me – the sound of outrage in particular. Outrage from bystanders when they realise excessive force is being used. I remind young researchers that we need sounds and images to analyse what happens before, during and after violent incidents.’
Violence and law enforcement remain central issues in society, as seen in the unrest in the United States sparked by ICE’s actions. ‘There’s no getting around it: violence is part of society. Its consequences are serious, but fortunately, most people rarely encounter it in their daily lives. Violence is a rare phenomenon, but society wouldn’t exist without it.’
The inaugural lecture will be streamed live on 2 March.