Violence Prevention

Violence: A Deep Concern

Violence has always been a source of deep concern for me, considering the fact that it gets much too little coverage in comparison to the extent of its effects. According to a World Health Organization survey, abuse is the leading cause of death for people aged fifteen to forty-four in the world (WHO 10). On this subject, I believe that finding helpful ways to react to violence is a vital topic to which government agencies, private sectors, and individuals should offer priority. When I learned that abuse does not get the recognition it needs, I became interested in debating it. The negative effect that violence has on the economy also stirs my interest in the topic. Government bodies spend a lot of money per year in criminal justice. In 2007, the United States spent approximately $179 billion on police protection and legal activities, and corrections all as a result of coping with violence and criminal activities (McCollister et al. 99). Most countries around the globe also spend their vast wealth mostly on military weapons as the developed nations give threat to each other. Increase in the number of refugees in the whole world due to religious war also stimulated my interest in discussing this topic. Conflict in general needs proper research on how it affects our lives negatively and a workable solution that can be used to eliminate the problems.

The Origins of Violence

Violence started at the beginning of human race according to many historians and researchers. According to Muslims, conflict began when Muhammad established an Islamic state in Medina where he put his first military to control the land. Muhammad received guidelines from God on how the violence should be conducted (Esposito 1068). These rulings imposed by the army evolved in agreement with the interpretations of the Quran and hadith. The key themes in these rulings were the justness of war and the injunction to jihad. The beliefs make Muslims view violence as something of Religious importance. Anatol Rapoport states in his book that the class structure of society is the primary source of intergroup conflict in early times (Rapoport 261). Division of labor within the communities in olden days was also the cause of conflict. World War I and II are good indicators that violence started a long time ago according to history books.

Tackling Violence: A Global Issue

Everyone will acknowledge that violence has become an international challenge which requires a proper mitigation framework to encounter. Although there are many parts of the world where it has received a passive reaction from government bodies, private sectors, and individuals, its effects are shared equally. It has become a problem to challenge violence since humanity believes that some form of violence is a functional part of life, and there is justified and unjustified violence. Sometimes people dealing with violence only focus on particular types of violence or particular populations, rather than systematic change throughout the society. This condition needs highly directed intervention to solve.

Addressing Violence Through Education and Awareness

To deal with violence, we first have to start with educating our children about it, thus stopping the cycle of violence from generation to generation within the community. This can only be done by teaching them that both men and women are equal in society. Schools should also be encouraged to play a significant role in violence prevention through teaching children such traits like leadership, respect, compassion, and hard work. Children should also be taught safety plans such that when they encounter violence, they know how to handle themselves. They should also get an education on how to help others who are facing trouble. Awareness should be created to teach women on how to respond to violence in case they fall victims. The procedures above should be applied to reduce the number of people suffering from violence.

Part 2: Annotated

Bibliography

Esposito, John. “Islam and Political Violence.” Religions 6 (2015): 1067-1081. Print.

This is a research article that seeks to address the role of Islam in the rising political violence, with a particular focus on Al Qaeda and ISIL. The paper discusses the cause of violence in the religion by discussing in details the history of violence in the Quran and ways in which the Quran promotes violence. He further delves into Jihad which is a holy war supported in the scriptures, captures the attitude of Muslims towards Jihad today and discusses its relationship with the political violence experienced today. Finally, Esposito addresses Al Qaeda and ISIL, their role in political violence and terrorism whose understanding is vital in deciding methods of prevention of violence. The author succeeds in covering this topic and remains clear and focused through the use of sub-topics. I would recommend the paper to any researcher studying violence due to the vast information it offers in Islam and violence.

McCollister, Kathryn, et. al. “The Cost of Crime to Society: New Crime-Specific Estimates for Policy and Program Evaluation.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 108.1 (2010): 98-109. Print.

This article was published in an international journal that covers issues addressing psychosocial approaches. The author investigates the cost that crime including violence has on the society. Understanding the economic burden of crime and violence and the various prevention and correction techniques are required as it will help in the selection of cost-effective crime prevention techniques. The paper reviews crime-costing methods, unit cost studies, and government reports and collects data from the NCVS. Data analysis results included victim costs, criminal justice costs, crime career costs, and other intangible costs. The authors succeed in quantifying these costs that can be used as a guideline when deciding prevention measures. They also manage to stay clear and focused by dividing their analysis into sub-sections. I would highly recommend this paper to other scholars researching in this field.

Rapoport, Anatol. The Origin if Violence: Approaches to the Study of Conflict. Transaction Publishers: 1995.

This is a book in the political science field the author traces the origin of violence and provides well-researched approaches to studying conflicts. Rapoport is an established researcher in this area with over 500 publications and has over the years, therefore, acquired vast knowledge in the field. Besides explaining the origin of violence, he goes ahead and teaches theories and techniques of conflict resolution which can be used to prevent violence. He manages to stay focused and clear owing to the experience he has accrued over the years if writing. I would highly recommend this book to other scholars.

World Health Organisation. World Report on Violence and Health: Summary. Geneva: World Health Organisation, 2002. Print.

This is a comprehensive report prepared by the World health Organisation to summarize issues pertaining violence namely root cause and impact of violence, form and contexts in which it occurs as well as gives recommendations for action and preventing violence. The report begins by defining violence and stating the measures of violence. It further explains the impact that violence has in a society and gives am ecological model explaining the cause of violence. Understanding the cause of violence will guide In determining ways through which the violence can be curbed. The report then covers the different forms of violence such as interpersonal and collective violence addressing each type comprehensively. Finally, the report suggests preventive measures of violence. The authors fulfill their purpose in writing this book since it offers pertinent knowledge about violence. The message is also clear and concise as it is divided into chapters. I would highly recommend this report to violence matters researchers.

Works Cited

Esposito, John. “Islam and Political Violence.” Religions 6 (2015): 1067-1081. Print.

McCollister, Kathryn, et. al. “The Cost of Crime to Society: New Crime-Specific Estimates for Policy and Program Evaluation.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 108.1 (2010): 98-109. Print.

Rapoport, Anatol. The Origin if Violence: Approaches to the Study of Conflict. Transaction Publishers: 1995.

World Health Organisation. World Report on Violence and Health: Summary. Geneva: World Health Organisation, 2002. Print.