Predatory and Dispute-related Violence: A Social Interactionist Approach

Abstract

This chapter discusses a social interactionist approach to criminal violence. It distinguishes two general types of violence: predatory violence and dispute-related violence. Rape involves the use of contingent threats or bodily force to compel a person to engage in sexual intercourse. The three major outcomes in a completed rape are sexual activity, harm to the victim, and domination of the victim. Dispute-related violence occurs as a result of social control reactions to perceived wrongdoing. Individuals feel aggrieved when they believe that they have been wronged, and they are motivated to punish the miscreant. The tendency for transgressions to lead to violence may be a factor in the explanation of the versatility of people who commit crime. Evidence suggests that those who commit violent offenses are likely to commit a variety of offenses. Many studies have shown a positive correlation between physical violence and stress. The effects of stress are generally assumed to be due to some sort of frustration-aggression mechanism.