State Violence

A State Violence is a structured violence by a governing body.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) involve Military Violence and Police Brutality aimed at suppressing dissent or maintaining control.
  • It can (often) manifest through Structural Violence, where social structures or institutions harm people by preventing them from meeting basic needs.
  • It can range from overt acts like Genocide to covert actions like Surveillance.
  • It can (often) be justified by the state under the guise of maintaining law and order or national security.
  • It can have lasting impacts on the Psychological Well-being of affected populations, contributing to a legacy of trauma and distrust.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Military actions: the use of force by the military against civilians in times of unrest, showcasing Military Violence.
  • Legislative actions: the enactment of laws that disproportionately affect marginalized communities, demonstrating Structural Violence.
  • State-Sanctioned Violence, where the use of force is officially condoned or enforced by government bodies.
    • a State Agent Torture Program by state agents to extract information or confessions from detainees.
  • Displacement and land grab: the forcible displacement of indigenous populations from their ancestral lands, as seen in various Settler Colonial contexts.
  • Restriction of movement: the imposition of Curfews or Lockdowns that restrict freedom of movement and assembly.
  • Crowd control measures: the use of Tear Gas or other chemical weapons against protesters or civilians.
  • Targeted killings: the practice of Extrajudicial Killings by state security forces, often targeting political opponents or marginalized groups.
  • Institutionalized discrimination: the maintenance of Apartheid systems that institutionalize racial segregation and discrimination.
  • Mass detention: the establishment of Concentration Camps or Internment Camps to detain and control certain populations.
  • State-sponsored terrorism: the deployment of State-Sponsored Terrorism to advance political objectives or suppress opposition movements.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Community Policing strategies, which aim to build trust and cooperation between law enforcement and communities.
  • ...
• See: Immigration Law, Settler Colonialism, Surveillance, State-Sanctioned Violence, State Surveillance.

---

---

References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_violence Retrieved:2024-5-2.
  • State violence is the use of force, intimidation, or oppression by a government or ruling body against the citizens within the jurisdiction of said state. This can be seen in a variety of forms, including military violence, settler colonialism, surveillance, immigration law, and other tactics used to express authority over a certain group. State violence can happen through law enforcement or military force, as well as through other branches of government and bureaucracy. State violence is typically justified under the pretense of maintaining law and order, or protecting borders. State violence can include prolonged conditions imposed on individuals that are upheld, unaddressed, or furthered by the state. For example, structural violence that lead to Flint, Michigan having lead-contaminated water may be considered state violence. U.S immigration laws are an additional example of structural violence.

---