Civil Violence Research Articles

Evaluating the Effect of Homicide Prevention Strategies in São Paulo, Brazil: A Synthetic Control Approach

Although Brazil remains severely affected by civil violence, the state of São Paulo has made significant inroads into fighting criminality. In the last decade, São Paulo has witnessed a 70 percent decline in homicide rates, a result that policy-makers attribute to a series of crime-reducing measures implemented by the state government. While recent academic studies seem to confirm this downward trend, no estimation of the total impact of state policies on homicide rates currently exists. The present article fills this gap by employing the synthetic control method to compare these measures against an artificial São Paulo. The results indicate a large drop in homicide rates in actual São Paulo when contrasted with the synthetic counterfactual, with about 20,000 lives saved during the period. The theoretical usefulness of the synthetic control method for public policy analysis, the role of the Primeiro Comando da Capital as a moderating variable, and the practical implications of the security measures taken by the São Paulo State government are also discussed.

Emigration and Political Contestation

Abstract How does migration affect global patterns of political violence and protest? While political scientists have examined the links between trade and conflict, less attention has been paid to the links between migration and conflict. In this paper, we show that greater emigration reduces domestic political violence by providing exit opportunities for aggrieved citizens and economic benefits to those who remain. Emigration also reduces non-violent forms of political contestation, including protests and strikes, implying that high emigration rates can produce relatively quiescent populations. However, larger flows of emigrants to democracies can increase non-violent protest in autocracies, as exposure to freer countries spreads democratic norms and the tools of peaceful opposition. We use instrumental variables analysis to account for the endogeneity of migration flows and find robust results for a range of indicators of civil violence and protest from 1960 to 2010.

Game Modeling of the Political Space: Analysis of Foreign Literature

Purpose is to identify the main trends and gaps in the research of foreign scientists on the topic “Game modeling of political space”.Methods. In this review, the authors used a semi-systematic method of researching the literature, in which at the first stage they used quantitative methods, and then the selected array of publications was investigated by the integrative method, revealing theoretical studies and practical results of the application of game political components.Results. Based on the selected foreign publication stream on the topic “game modeling of political space” by the method of semi-systematic analysis, six main trends in the study and application of game theory and game modeling in political discourse have been identified:considering the value of game modeling through the prism of interaction, not collision of actors;application of game modeling in the development and adoption of political decisions;development of new approaches to the analysis of the very methodology of game modeling in politics;game as a form of effective political communication;study of game theory on the basis of fundamental classical monographs of the mid-20th century as applied to the solution of pressing political problems;application of game modeling in predicting election results, especially in those political systems that are based on the theory of rational choice during voting.A lacuna in the studies of recent decades has identified the issue of using political game modeling in electoral processes. Despite the continuing relevance of the topic of elections around the world, no significant volume of publications was selected.Conclusions. Foreign researchers use the potential of game modeling in politics more often and more multifaceted than in domestic political science. Evolutionary game-theoretic models are used not only to model political and international processes themselves, but also to related social spheres, such as economics, religious and ethnic relations. Game theory is used to study a wide range of social and political problems and social phenomena: voting, fundamentalism, religious and ethnic conflicts, civil violence.

Mineral Nutrition of Samburu Adolescents: A Comparative Study of Pastoralist Communities in Kenya.

This study aimed to characterize mineral nutrition (copper, magnesium, selenium, and zinc) in Samburu pastoralist youth, in the context of differential cultural transitions due to uneven changes in educational access, herding intensity, polygyny, and access to wild, domesticated, and market-sourced foods. Whole dried blood spots were collected in a total of 161 youth (highlands, n = 97; lowlands, n = 64) to assess concentrations of: cadmium, copper, lead, magnesium, mercury, selenium, and zinc. Concentrations were determined through Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry. Dietary intakes were assessed by 24-hour recall method and calculation of probability of inadequate intakes. WHO protocols were applied to collect anthropometric measures in the youth. Nearly half of the adolescents (47.8%) fell below the reference range for zinc status, and 88.2% had low zinc-to-copper ratios. High probability of nutrient inadequacies were evident for protein, fat, vitamins A, B12, C, and E. In generalized linear modeling, lowland residence was negatively associated with zinc status and the zinc-to-copper ratio, and positively correlated with selenium and copper status. Other significant correlates were: dairy livestock ownership; wife number of the youth's mother; meat consumption; vegetable consumption; protein intake; infectious disease morbidities; BMI; and hemoglobin concentrations. In recent decades, Samburu pastoralists of northern Kenya have experienced marked dietary changes in the context of market integration, extreme drought, diminishing pasture availability, and violent civil conflict. Some children (particularly boys) successfully supplement their diets by foraging for wild foods, while others (particularly actively herding girls) may be more vulnerable.

Gender, mental health and resilience in armed conflict: listening to life stories of internally displaced women in Colombia

For over 60 years, Colombia has endured violent civil conflict forcibly displacing more than 8 million people. Recent efforts have begun to explore mental health consequences of these contexts, with...

Why we should stop using the term “Black-on-Black crime”: an analysis across disciplines

Official statistics document that the majority of all crime committed in the U.S. is intra-racial. Only crimes involving victims and offenders of Black racial identity have been assigned an explicitly racialized label. Drawing on work from multiple disciplines, this paper traces the historical origins of racialized crime statistics. It examines how official statistics are manipulated, through racial disproportionality analysis, to mask the amount of crime committed by Whites and to support a view that Black crime is more prevalent and dangerous than other criminal offending. We trace the origin of the term “Black on Black crime” to unsuccessful efforts by Black leaders to protect the Black community from victimization or gain equitable treatment for Black defendants. We argue that the use of the term should be abandoned, in part, because of its current use in public discourse to legitimize police and civilian violence against Blacks. Recommendations for addressing and eliminating the use of this racially charged term in public discourse, policy, and criminal justice practice are provided.

A CLINICAL STUDY OF PENETRATING ABDOMINAL TRAUMA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS MANAGEMENT : AN INDIAN SCENARIO

Introduction: The incidence of penetrating abdominal injuries has been on the rise. The common availability of rearms, the lack of proper law, armed conicts, civil violence and road trafc accidents are the major causes of penetrating abdominal injuries. As patient with penetrating abdominal trauma are at risk of harbouring life threatening injuries, early diagnosis and timely intervention is the most important steps to reduce its morbidity as well as mortality. Recently due to improvement of the present healthcare system, the outcome of these injuries is improving. Materials And Methods: A descriptive observational study was carried out on 60 cases of penetrating abdominal injuries. A predesigned pretested schedule was used for data collection. Interview of the study subject and evaluation of all clinical reports was done to obtain the history, clinical ndings, management, complications, mortality and follow up. Before data collection, informed consent was obtained from each and every study subjects. Results: The overall incidence of penetrating abdominal trauma was found to be 2.30% of the total admission of 6217 patients in the department of surgery. The most common cause of penetrating abdominal injury found in this study is stab injury by sharp objects which is followed by gunshot injury. The commonest age group affected was 20 to 30 years which comprises about 41.67%. In this study we found a male preponderance in cases of penetrating injury to the abdomen. In most of the cases the mode is homicidal stab or gunshot injury followed by accidental injuries. Pain, abdominal distension and bleeding from the wound are the main presenting symptom. After initial evaluation with USG (FAST),CTscan abdomen is the most valuable investigation so far. In this series, it is found that the small intestine is the most commonly involved viscera followed by colon, omentum, mesentery and liver respectively. Most common complications after operative intervention was wound infection. The average hospital stay was 6 to 15 days. It has been observed that the post-operative complications, associated injuries and multiple organ injuries are the cause of increased hospital stay. Conclusion: Penetrating trauma can be serious because it can damage internal organs and presents a risk of shock and infection. In the present year, due to overall improvement in the communication and transportation, better monitoring systems and resuscitative measures, improvised diagnostic methods, better availability of blood and blood products, better medications and more skilful surgical techniques, the outcomes of these injuries are improving.

The Covid-19 and the Nigerian pandemic: A review on Covid-19 in the inequitable world of Nigerians

Nigeria is a country of more than 200 million citizens. Amongst these, 40% live below the poverty line and earn less than $400 dollars annually. The laws in the country does not also affect all f her citizens equally. The large gap in equity in the nation has been seen to have a direct impact on the recent public health emergency, the covid-19 pandemic that occurred. With a lot of policies put in place to cub the spread and enhance control of the virus, the country had a lot of gaps and windows for her elite citizens. This did not just cause an introduction of the virus into the country; it also played a pivotal role in the pattern of spread in the country. The paper also went further to reflect the need for government office holders to have strong unbiased knowledge of medical emergencies (Epidemics and pandemics) and their implications. The public health implications of a fall in civilization and what impacts it can have in the prognosis of public health affairs in a nation. It creates a direct linkage between the impact of government policies, civil violence and most importantly Inequity.

Brief Synopses of New Arabic-Language Publications

Brief Synopses of New Arabic-Language Publications

IUSTITIUM AND STATE OF EXCEPTION. THE ROMAN CONSTITUTIONALIZING OF THE EMERGENCY. THE ACTIUM PARADIGM PARS ALTERA

In the emergency periods Rome had tried in every way already from the most ancient times to stand up against the impredictabilities of the moment, especially during war periods. Similarly, the political and institutional upheavals of the battle of Actium have led to the violent civil crashes and the opposition of leaders of the calibre of Antony and Octavian. These could be a paradigm to verify whether the Roman public law (installing promptly emergency legislation: iustitium, senatusconsultum ultimum, the designation as hostis publicus and the like) had adopted the proper instruments to resolve the crisis. Indeed, a careful examination of the sources, together with understanding of the law texts leads us to exclude, like Antonio Guarino already did, that the Roman constitution could ever have recognised such a possibility.

Guatemalan Migration to Los Angeles:

The Guatemalan migration to Los Angeles hides behind a violent thirty-year Civil War that lasted from 1960 to 1996; the violent events started after the USA supported a coup against the Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz. The coup marked the beginning of political instability in Guatemala. The instability led to the formation of guerrilla groups seeking to overthrow the military regime; the confrontation by both groups occurred in the highlands of Guatemala, where many of the indigenous villages were decimated, and its populations almost eradicated. As a result, an increased number of indigenous populations started escaping the political violence they faced by guerrilla and military groups and began migrating to Los Angeles. The number of indigenous people arriving in Los Angeles increased dramatically during the 1980s and 1990s; however, these communities continued to face adversities upon arrival in Los Angeles. The indigenous communities had to find ways to maintain their culture alive and settle in Los Angeles. This paper will seek to explore how the civil war in Guatemala led to an increased number of Guatemalans arriving in Los Angeles, focusing on the Mayan Kanjobal community. The paper will also focus on the settlement of the Kanjobales in the West-Lake and Pico-Union region of Southern Los Angeles and the ways their culture was challenged upon arriving at Los Angeles.

Lisa Hultman, Jacob D. Kathman and Megan Shannon: Peacekeeping in the Midst of War

Are United Nations peacekeeping missions effective at reducing violence incivil wars? Although UN peacekeeping is a notable intervention tool, theinternational community lacks systematic knowledge of how well itmitigates civil war violence. Given that UN peacekeeping is increasinglyused in the midst of war, this is a significant research gap with direct policyrelevance. This book systematically explores if and how the capacity andconstitution of UN peacekeeping missions a!ect the amount of violence incivil conflicts. It argues that peacekeeping e!ectiveness needs to beassessed in relative terms, theorizing that more robust missions areincreasingly capable of addressing combatant incentives for employingviolence. The authors conduct large-n analyses of the number ofcombatants and civilians killed during each month for all civil wars globallyfrom 1992 to 2014, measuring the capacity and constitution of UN missionswith unique data on the number and type of peacekeeping personneldeployed. The analyses reveal that increasing UN military troop and policepersonnel deployed to a conflict significantly reduces violence againstcivilians, and increasing UN military troop personnel significantly mitigatesbattle-related violence. By contrast, smaller missions and missionscomposed of observers are not associated with reduced violence. The bookcomplements the large-n analyses with qualitative explorations ofpeacekeeping mechanisms on violence in Côte d’Ivoire and the DemocraticRepublic of Congo. The authors conclude that while peacekeeping is notwithout detriments, it is an effective tool of violence reduction.

COVID-19 and food security as catalyst of conflict among rural households in Nigeria: a study of Ilaje community, Ondo state

PurposeThe compulsory lockdown issued by the Nigeria Government to curb the spread of the virus has undoubtedly negatively affected the livelihoods of households. As a result, many have lost their sources of income and have no other means for survival. It is important to note that it has the potential of triggering violent conflicts and civil unrest as a popular African adage goes as thus: “A hungry man is an angry man”. Unfortunately, little attention has been given, neither has extant literature adequately covered the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as it directly affects households in a rural community in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThis study proceeded from on both a qualitative and quantitative method and adopted a mixed-method and case study research design. Data for this study was collected through primary and secondary data. Primary data for this study was collected through a questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGD). The questionnaire used for this study was a validated instrument designed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to measure food security amongst households. The USDA household’s instrument was used and then modified to access the food security status of households during the lockdown.FindingsFindings from this study revealed that households, in general, were categorised as having “very low food security” during the lockdown as they testified to all the food insecure conditions. In general, the food intake of household members reported irregular eating patterns as the household lacked the money to purchase food. This study further indicated that a high number of respondents see violence as a means of attaining food. Extreme volatility in their inability to access food as a result of food shortages and the inability to benefit from government palliatives has been found to trigger incidents of conflict and malnutrition on households.Research limitations/implicationsThis method was sampling method was adopted because of the compulsory and constitutional lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 which limited the movement of the researcher to other households in the community which proved to be limited during the time this research was carried limiting the scope of the sample size.Originality/valueThis research adopted mixed-method research and was written by the researchers who did the study. This paper was conducted during the mandatory lockdown issued by the Federal Government in Nigeria with to understand the impact of the mandatory lockdown on rural households using Ilaje local of Ondo state as a case study while establishing a link between food security and conflict.

Chest Trauma at the Emergency Department of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital Bamako, Mali

In Mali, chest injuries remain a real public health problem and are associated with heavy morbidity and mortality. Faced with a resurgence of urban civil violence and the explosion of road accidents, we decided to conduct this study in order to describe the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of thoracic trauma in the emergency department. Method and Material: This is a descriptive prospective study over a period of one year in the emergency department of the CHU Gabriel Toure. Including all patients admitted for thoracic trauma. Analysis and Entry: Data were entered and analyzed on SPSS software version 20.0. The test was significant for a p value < 0.05. Results: We recorded 21,090 appeals in our structure among which 1284 patients were suspected of thoracic trauma. The diagnosis of thoracic trauma was retained in 119 (0.56%) patients. All patients were transported to the emergency room without prehospital medicalization. Clinical presentation was dominated by dyspnea in 54.6% of patients, however pain was the almost constant symptom in conscious victims. Various traumatic mechanisms had caused these lesions of the thorax, of which road traffic accidents represented half of the causes, followed by urban civil violence in 28.6% of patients. Landslides and falls from a great height were responsible for 19.5% of chest injuries. Open chest trauma was the type of lesion found in a third of the cases. This type of injury was exclusively due to blows and injuries during the brawls. Standard chest radiography was performed as the first intention in 60% of patients compared to 10.9% for the pleuropulmonary ultrasound. Thirteen patients required ventilatory assistance after orotracheal intubation. The average length of stay was 65.23 hours. During the period of our study, the overall mortality was 1.85% in the emergency departments with a lethality specific to chest trauma of 15%. Conclusion: Urban violence with its share of ballistic wounds determined the severity of this condition.

Das ilusões do real às verdades da fantasia: configurações da psicologia infantil em A bicicleta que tinha bigodes, de Ondjaki

Pretendemos, no presente artigo, realizar uma leitura de A bicicleta que tinha bigodes (2013), romance infanto-juvenil de Ondjaki. Confrontadas, por um lado, com problemas “externos”, relativos à precária situação socioeconômica do seu país, que, na altura dos eventos narrados na obra em questão, encontrava-se em meio a uma violenta guerra civil, e, por outro, com problemas “internos”, de ordem mais psicológica e afetiva, as crianças imaginadas por Ondjaki conseguem representar a complexa psicologia infantil. É precisamente esse último aspecto que a nossa análise irá privilegiar, ao escolher como chave de leitura a construção psicológica de algumas das personagens principais. Pretendemos, dessa forma, examinar a representação do universo psicológico infantil no referido romance, em especial quando este é confrontado com a psicologia adulta. Para tanto, recorremos, principalmente, ao aparato teórico da psicanálise, mas também nos servimos de algumas considerações de ordem socio-histórica, imprescindíveis para compreensão integral do corpus elencado.

A dimensional framework for the use of ASPD in SVP civil commitment

ABSTRACT The U.S. Supreme Court indicated in Kansas v. Crane that a qualifying mental disorder for Sexually Violent Predator civil commitment must differentiate between the ‘dangerous sexual offender’ and the ‘ordinary criminal recidivist,’ an issue of particular relevance when Antisocial Personality Disorder is the diagnosed condition. The DSM-5 categorical framework can be problematic in forensic contexts where the legal definition calls for a complex, layered, and nuanced approach. Dimensional schemes describe personality pathology in a flexible, individualized, and in-depth manner. In this paper we propose the expansion of DSM-5 ASPD criteria through the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders as a dimensional bridge to the SVP legal definition of a mental disorder. To that end, we first explain why a dimensional framework is plausible for the SVP definition of a mental disorder. Next, we review dimensional elements of ASPD impairments that serve to differentiate the sexually dangerous person from the ordinary criminal recidivist. Lastly, we provide a practical model that a forensic evaluator can use to determine whether to accept or reject ASPD as a viable SVP mental disorder.

Chapter 3. The seven capital sins: genesis, virtues, demons and rights

Sin in its original form constitutes a deviation from human behavior. Christian doctrine incorporates into the Judeo-Christian tradition the deadly sins that we all know (and their demons), as well as the virtues that are supposed to defeat or at least neutralize: 1) pride / humility, 2) greed / generosity, 3) lust / chastity, 4) anger / patience, 5) gluttony / temperance, 6) envy / charity and 7) laziness / diligence. In this same line of thought, to sin would be to abuse the freedom of God. According to John Bossy, the seven deadly sins would be the expression of a social and community ethic with which the Catholic Church tried at the time to contain violence and heal the troubled medieval society. Sins and their penance were originally a healthy warning of how to manage one&#8217;s individual and social behavior (Savater, 2013). That which Modern society allows as lawful or not, has &#8220;overcome&#8221; the conduct and moral republicanism of our days (1). Morality is one of the most sophisticated features of human judgment, behavior, and mind. An individual who deviates from violent morality, rules and civil rights, even affecting the individual liberties of others, sometimes even aggressively. A scientific approach to the origins of evil refers us to the exciting analysis of the molecular, epigenetic, phylogenetic and cellular determinants of the neurobiology of sin. This formidable adventure of thought constitutes a harmonious path traveled by moral philosophy and the neurosciences of that long stretch that is between the error of Prometheus and the error of Descartes.

Confronting Rebellion in Weak States: Government Response to Military Mutiny in Benin

Abstract Military mutinies are a serious threat to peace in Africa, as they may be a catalyst for large-scale civil violence. Unlike most studies that solely focus on the causes of military revolts, this article explores both cause and government response by examining a 1992 military sedition in Benin. Relying on interviews and government archives, Codjo uncovers the sources of the revolt and compares two consecutive administrations in their management of the crisis. The main takeaway is that presidential leadership style and antecedents of elite consensus on governance rules are sometimes critical in rallying support for a lasting solution to mutinies.

An analysis of the resilience process: The stimulus of mental strength and the role of community and family support amidst the civil violence in Thailand

Civil violence has been occurring in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand for an extended period of time. Despite the disturbance, residents of those provinces seemed to maintain mental strength and well-being with happiness scores among the highest in the country. It is interesting to investigate the progression of resilience amidst the prevailing violence, the gaining of mental strength, and retaining happiness in the context of the prevailing family and community support. This study employs data from a probability sample survey conducted in 2016 and includes residents of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. The structural equation model reveals resilience process that violence in the village appeared to stimulate mental strength directly and that family and community support also had significant and isolated positive impact on mental strength and level of happiness among the respondents. Social policies which are meant to restore well-being of people in the vulnerable community by way of enhancing the individual’s mental strength, the family’s role, and the community cohesion are finally discussed.

Preparing for genocide: Quasi-experimental evidence from Rwanda

This paper shows how state-controlled community meetings can facilitate large-scale mobilization of civilians into violence. We analyze a Rwandan community program that required citizens to participate in community work and political meetings every Saturday in the years before the 1994 genocide. We exploit cross-sectional variation in meeting intensity induced by exogenous weather fluctuations, and find that a one standard-deviation increase in the number of rainy Saturdays before the genocide decreased civilian violence by 17 percent. We find evidence that the meetings provided an arena for local elites to spread propaganda and bring people together. In research and policy, community meetings are often treated as positive, community building forces. Our results indicate that they can also lead to negative outcomes. This should, however, not suggest that such meetings are inherently destructive. Instead, community meetings should be understood as powerful tools and their effects depend on the political intention of the leaders.