The Ubiquity of Violence

Protective Factors

The CDC also has listed a number of protective factors for intimate partner violence

perpetration. Several of the projects in this study have been successfully focusing on using,

rebuilding, and enhancing a number of these factors in their work.

Relationship Factors

High friendship quality Social support (e.g. tangible help, support from neighbors)

Community Factors

Neighborhood collective efficacy (i.e., community cohesiveness/support/connected-ness, mutual trust, and willingness to intervene for the common good) Coordination of resources and services among community agencies

The Ubiquity of Violence

There is no shortage of violent acts in the world, there never has been, and unfortunately,

there may never be. Acts of violence are committed within and between all demographic groups,

regardless of gender, age, socioeconomic status, political or sexual orientation, religious beliefs,

and geographic location. Many of us have observed, first hand, as well as watched news story or

online videos of violence happening in many different contexts. For instance, violence can

happen in professional sports and in the legislative halls of Parliament; two seemingly different

venues. In sports, we give a bit of room recognizing physicality and aggression are a big part of

what “contact” sports are all about. In football, boxing, mixed martial arts, soccer, lacrosse,

hockey, roller derby, rugby, and basketball we expect people to hit or foul each other, and are

not surprised when someone gets injured, which is why there are referees overseeing the action.

Many of us have come to appreciate this form of violence, and we find ourselves cheering when it

happens; especially when the violence ensures the successful defeat of a rival team and/or

disables the teams star players.

However, in politics, many of us might expect that politicians, generally the middle to

upper middle classes of society, are graced with civility, reasoning, and intelligence. (Still, there

are “Speakers” of the House and “Sargent of Arms” in the Parliament that are charged with

keeping order – which should tip us off that there may be some aggressive, violent

disagreements). During intense political disagreements, debates, or social displays of disrespect

and intimidation, the façade of civility quickly evaporates into open, unrestrained, deadly brawls

of violence that take place in the halls of government. Some examples can be found in the British

online newspaper, The Telegraph, which has posted a video of Parliament fights around the world,

featuring politicians from Jordan, Ukraine, Nigeria, and South Korea slugging it out, wresting

and restraining one another, throwing chairs, and choking each one another with the ferocity of

a professional Mixed Marital Arts fighter

(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/9931916/Parliament-fights-around-the-

world.html).

Violence knows no boundaries and can be found in the most sacred human spaces. There

are videos that have recorded major violent brawls erupting inside Christian churches, at

weddings, and during the christening of a child. On June 28, 2018 a news story and shocking

video was released showing a Catholic priest, who is speaking French, squeezing the mouth and

slapping a crying baby during a baptism. The priest was forced to retire shortly after (Mann,

2018). A number of the comments of folks who saw this video on YouTube responded to the

priest’s violence with their own violence: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mjH7f-_ioY).

One individual said, “I understand how perplexing this must be for them as parents and religious

followers, but i would have struck the old crow in his face. You're a father first.” Another said,

“evil ald bastard i would have punched him in his face he is not a man of god he is a monster of

evil.”

Finally, another who appears to believe that the devil was involved, and that evil must be

confronted with violence said, “First, let me remind the reader that until the ceremony of

baptism has been completed, the child is under the dominium of the Devil due to his original sin.

So, it is not unusual for the Devil to impel the child to rebel against the baptism, since in it he

loses his power and Our Lord Jesus Christ conquers that soul. Thus, sometimes a slap has an

exorcistic effect, as in Confirmation. Perhaps the priest, who likely still believed in the Devil, was

not targeting the child but the Devil when he slapped him.'' (The wording in these posts was not

edited or corrected for spelling, grammar, or intent).

Violence invades stores and in shopping malls, especially during the holidays and when

special sales promotions such as “Black Friday” are thrown upon an aggressive consumer society,

like raw meat thrown to wild, starving predators. There are videos posted on the internet that

have recorded the “Top 10 Worst BLACK FRIDAY Moments 2017 (Black Friday Fights and

Fails)” found on YouTube that show everyday soccer moms, teachers, parents, and community

leaders engaging in all out human violence: fighting, yelling, and skirmishing, over the year’s

most popular consumer products. The RaphaelSonLevine, Personal Injury Law Firm shares

“Black Friday Safety Tips To Avoid Discounting Your Health This Holiday Season.” Well aware

how deadly Black Friday can be, the Law Firm warns, “From fist fights to identity theft, shopping

on Black Friday brings a few safety risks all should know.”

(https://www.raphaelsonlaw.com/legal-insights/black-friday-safety-tips/)

Even among spiritual sects of Buddhists, whose beliefs and practices are centered upon

seeking peace, happiness, compassion, and the practice of non-violence, there are news stories

and videos of rival Buddhists groups violently fighting one another or other non-Buddhists they