DEFINING VIOLENCE: A BROAD-BASED APPROACH

Abstract

In this study, the concept of violence is discussed in terms of its content and types, and after the previous definitions are critically evaluated, it is aimed to reach a broad-based new definition based on the common elements of the concept. The word violence, which means "power, strength, valor, hardness, extremism, rudeness, ruthlessness, bullying, brutality, attack, aggression, rape" in the dictionary, is generally used in the sense of “all individual or collective actions that cause physical or mental harm to people by applying force and pressure” as a technical term. However, it changes for various ideological, political, economic reasons, etc. and gains a hypocritical, double-standard and inconsistent character in terms of both definition and scope. The only agreed point is that violence has elements such as "force, purposeful use of force, a perpetrator of violence, exposed to violence and the result", which we can collect in five items. Based on these, we can define the concept of violence as “the excessive use of power by a person, group or society against people with or without justified reasons”. This definition includes all forms of violence, personal or social, physical or psychological, legitimate or illegitimate, etc.