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Trends in Violence and Aggression a Cross-Cultural Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2025

Simha F. Landau
Simha F. Landau*
Affiliation:
Institute of Criminology Faculty of Law Hebrew University Of Jerusalem
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Abstract

In the present cross-cultural study, trends in violence and aggression are analyzed within a theoretical framework, according to which the probability of these behaviours as a reaction to stress will increase, when social support systems fail or malfunction. The variables of the study were:

  • 1) Measure of social stress: inflation

  • 2) Measures of social support: the ratio between marriage and divorce rates as well as rates of births to unmarried mothers served as measures of the strength of the family. Another measure in this category were mental health treatment contacts.

  • 3) Measures of aggression and violence: rates of homicide robbery, rape, general criminal activity, and suicide.

Data regarding the above measures from the mid or end of the sixties to the end of the seventies were presented for fourteen countries. On the whole, the findings support the above theoretical model: the increase in social stress (as measured by inflation rates) and the parallel weakening of the family as a social support system, was accompanied in almost all the countries by an increase in most measures of violence and aggression. The only exception is Japan, where most measures of violence and aggression showed a decrease rather than an increase. Some characteristics of Japanese society are discussed: The strong emphasis on external (group) pressure towards conformity on the individual, contributes to the decrease of outward-directed aggression (homicide, robbery, rape) on the one hand, and to a considerable increase of inward-directed aggression (suicide) on the other. Some implications of these findings for future research are discussed, and suggestions are made for further research on this topic.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
International Annals of Criminology , Volume 22 , Issue 1-2 , 1984 , pp. 119 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 International Society for Criminology

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Footnotes

*

This study was supported by the Research Fund of the Hebrew University. Miriam Netta assisted in the data collection.

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