NCJ Number
82195
Date Published
1980
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The study summarizes reflections on violence by a multidisciplinary work group of the Center of Sociology of Law and Justice (Institute of Sociology - Free University of Brussels), with special emphasis on the concept of institutional violence.
Abstract
Institutional violence is an established form of interpersonal violence resulting from the existence of such institutions as the police and prisons and from the practices of repressive justice. Such violence emanating from institutions which exercise power may manifest itself in the political, the economic, and the cultural spheres. Counter-institutions and counter-violence may develop in reaction to the institutional violence. In the political sphere, violent institutions such as prisons exist in all political regimes. In this context, counter-institutional violence may take the form of riots, revolutions, airplane hijackings, kidnappings of diplomats, and permanent terrorism. Institutional violence in economic fields may result from coercion, competition, stockmarket speculation, new forms of credit, professional associations, and unions. These various types of violence may be counteracted with strikes, sabotage of production, plundering of luxury department stores, and various types of work stoppage. Cultural violence may be manifested as various forms of mass media and films, censure, of permanent education; counter-institutional violence occurs as cultural revolution but is in general rare. It is concluded that some form of institutional violence is inevitable in almost any regime, and that the violence of any institution is likely to provoke counter-violence. Notes are supplied.