Does Poverty Cause Violence?

Abstract

Violence is often caused by a combination of determinants or “triggers.” Poverty—one of several “triggers” of violence—is discussed in detail in this chapter. The objective of the chapter is to summarize evidence on whether the poverty–violence link exists, what might be the theoretical mechanisms linking poverty to violence, and associated factors within and across populations. The chapter ends with reflections based on the discussed body of literature and highlights some of the most urgent research challenges.

Introduction to Special issue: Brazilian Criminology in the 21st Century

“…Violence, as any other crime, does not occur randomly in space or time. Changing economic dynamics in particular regions in the country are thought to be the leading cause behind the growth in homicide rates in inland municipalities (Andrade & Diniz, 2013;Ceccato, 2017). Recent studies have highlighted concerns surrounding the growth patterns of lethal violence across Brazilian regions over time (Scorzafave et al, 2015;Waiselfisz, 2016).…”

Lethal Violence in Brazil: A Systematic Review of Portuguese-Language Literature From 2000 to 2020

“…Research shows that areas classified as "rural" have experienced greater increases in violence than urban areas since the 1980s. For homicides with the use of firearms in particular, a rise has more recently been observed in municipalities with 50,000-100,000 inhabitants, while most large cities and metropolitan regions have experienced a reduction (Ceccato & Ceccato, 2017). Waiselfisz (2016) suggests a typology of violence for municipalities with the highest homicide rates:…”

“…New innovative methods of research and homicide prevention have also been suggested and tested, but it is difficult to generalize about their efficacy in different contexts but poverty and deprivation are indicated to be common denominators of lethal violence. Ceccato (2017) suggests that international research has identified challenges when attempting to untangle the effects of poverty from the effects of relative deprivation on violence, as proxies for violence tend to be correlated. There have been concerns about whether current theories, methods and measures truly capture the reality of the Brazilian context, as they are often treated as unproblematic when transplanted from the Global North.…”

“…police in the United States took 30 years to kill the same number of civilians as police in Brazil did in 6 years from 2008 to 2013, despite a U.S. population that is approximately 50% larger (Oatman, 2015). Finally, Brazil has one of the highest rates of feminicide (Costa, 2016;Lodetti, 2016;Romio, 2017) and one of the highest number of lethal violent crimes against LGBQTI people in the world (Mendes & Silva, 2020), as well as hundreds of dead each year in land conflicts (Ceccato & Ceccato, 2017), reflecting the legacy of a society with extreme infringement of basic human rights.…”

Sosioekonomi Keluarga Sebagai Faktor Pendorong Gejala Gengsterisme Murid India Pendidikan Moral Di Sekolah Menengah [Family Socioeconomic Status as an Impulse Factor of Gangsterism Among Indian Moral Education Student in Secondary School]

“…Sebaliknya, dapatan kajian penyelidik telah membuktikan bahawa belenggu taraf sosioekonomi keluarga yang memainkan peranan dominan ke arah penglibatan diri murid India Pendidikan Moral di Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan dalam gejala gengsterisme. Dalam pada itu, hasil dapatan kajian penyelidik turut bersehaluan dengan kajian Vania dan Sturmey (2017) 31 yang menjelaskan bahawa belenggu taraf sosioekonomi keluarga (TSK), kesempitan peluang pendidikan di Universiti tempatan, kekurangan biasiswa pendidikan (Paulo Freire, 1968) 32 dan peluang pekerjaan yang tipis telah memaksa golongan remaja/belia melibatkan diri dalam gejala gengsterisme, penagihan/pengedaran najis dadah, penculikan, peragutan, pembunuhan, jenayah berat dan pelbagai jenis gejala antisosial. Menurut beliau status kekeluargaan dengan silaturahim sesama anggota keluarga yang lemah turut membantutkan pedoman ibu bapa terhadap anak-anak e-ISSN: 2590-3691 MJSSH 2020; 4 (4) page | 74 mereka, lalu pengaruh rakan sebaya devian meresapi serta menjadi lebih ketara dan kukuh dalam hidup kanak-kanak tersebut.…”