What’s up?

What do you think of when you hear of the word “violence?”

• At the individual level, violence exists when one person with power attempts to exert their power or control over another person who doesn’t have as much power in the relationship. Violence can be physical, emotional, verbal and/or sexual.
• At the societal level is when a group of people with power attempt to exert their power or control over a group of people who may not have as much power in society

What types of behaviors or attributes would you consider to be violent?

• Using one’s body or a weapon to hurt another person’s body.
• When one person hurts another person’s feelings through words or actions.
• When someone uses their words to hurt another person.
• When one person forces another person to do something with their body that they are not comfortable with.

What are some examples of violent behavior?

• Punching, kicking, slapping or biting
• Manipulation; getting someone to behave in a way in which they don’t feel comfortable. Tom told Cara if she didn’t answer his calls right away, he was going to hurt himself.
• Swearing at or name call another person.
• Touching someone in an area of their body you don’t have permission to touch.

Martin Luther King defines violence as anything that denies human integrity and leads to hopelessness and helplessness. Violence is never the fault of the person who experiences or experienced the violence. Violence is a choice made by the abusive person.