What Is Violence?
Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power against oneself, another person or against a group or community. This can include fighting, bullying, threats with weapons, gang-related violence, and more.Whether threatened or actual, either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in harm (psychological and physical), injury, deprivation, or even death.
Violence accounts for over 1.5 million deaths per year, but the impact of violence is not limited to physical injury or death. Violence can have long-term effects on someone such as, depression, mental disorders, suicide attempts, chronic pain syndromes, unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other STIs. For youth that are victims of violence, they become at risk of alcohol and drug misuse, smoking, and high-risk sexual behavior.
Peace, Not Violence
There’s a reason why nationally renowned psychotherapist Robi Ludwig said, “Violence is a dark contrast to what so many of us still believe in-- love.” Violence is the opposite of love. The opposite of peace. And it will never help any situation.
Violence in our world has created such hatred, hurt, and separation. The effects of violence in the world come in many forms, from the largest scale in war and genocide to a small, but just as meaningful scale, of spreading hurtful rumors or manipulating someone.
No matter what the degree of violence, the effects of it are so detrimental to one’s mental, emotional, and physical health. The worst of ourselves is shown when we are violent, and it is so important to care about the actual implications of violence shown not only in our life, but the greater world.
Peacemaking Movements and Campaigns:
The Peace Studio – Building a generation of peace-building artists and media-makers
For more information about topics concerning violence:
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