VIOLENCE AND CONTROL - A STUDY OF SOME RELATIONSHIPS OF THE VIOLENT SUBCULTURE TO THE CONTROL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE

• NCJ Number: 7336
• Author(s): M L DIETZ
• Date Published: 1969
• Length: 205 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

USE OF VIOLENCE BY MEMBERS OF THE VIOLENT SUBCULTURE SHOWN TO BE A RATIONAL, DELIBERATE AND APPROVED MEANS BY WHICH SOCIALLY DESIRABLE GOALS MAY BE ACHIEVED.

Abstract

THE DATA SHOW INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE OCCURRING PRIMARILY AMONG PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF A SUBCULTURE IN WHICH VIOLENCE IS APPROVED. THE DATA SUPPORT THE THEORY THAT VIOLENCE IS COGNITIVELY LEARNED CONDUCT SUPPORTED BY NORMS AND VALUES PROVIDING CULTURAL DEFINITIONS OF THIS CONDUCT AS PROPER AND REASONABLE. NOT ONLY IS VIOLENT CONDUCT LEARNED, BUT THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THIS CONDUCT IS COGNITIVELY LEARNED AS WELL. IN THE NONVIOLENT CULTURE CHILDREN AND ADULTS ARE MOTIVATED TO USE NONVIOLENT MEANS, AND THESE MOTIVES ARE DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN THE HABITS AND TENDENCIES THAT DEVELOP THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS OF THE SAME BACKGROUND AND TRAINING. THE ABILITY TO CONTROL VIOLENT CONDUCT THAT IS LEARNED IN THE VIOLENT SUBCULTURE IS NOT AROUSED THROUGH CONSCIENCE OR INTERNALIZED MOTIVES, BUT RATHER IN RELATION TO SITUATIONAL DETERMINANTS THAT ARE PRESENT IN SOME SITUATIONS. THE MOTIVATION TO USE VIOLENT MEANS AND THE ABILITY TO INITIATE AND TERMINATE THIS CONDUCT AS A RESULT OF A RATIONAL COGNITIVE JUDGMENT CLEARLY PLACE INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE OUTSIDE THE REALM OF IMPULSIVE OR UNCONTROLLABLE BEHAVIOR. THE VIOLENT ACT IS NOT, FOR THOSE OF THE VIOLENT SUBCULTURE, THE RESULT OF OVERWHELMING STRESS NOR IS IT THE RESULT OF NEUROTIC TENDENCIES NOR OF EMOTIONAL MALADAPTATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)