ABSTRACT

Violence and humanity, seemingly, are inseparable. Human history is replete with violent acts, intentions, amusements. Violence is a seemingly intractable problem in society which matters massively in the making and mending of madness. All forms of violence entail some sort of psychological (emotional) as well as physical suffering. Violence also undermines the well-being of society. Finding murder/violence fascinating may have similar detrimental effects. Violence is therefore always a private trouble as well as public issue. The consequences of violence on both humans and their communities varies from that of imperceptibility to that of devastation. This chapter reviews the state of violence in today’s world and its effects. This chapter posits that violence remains a major public health problem globally, but also ponders the argument that society, has been over thousands of years steadily becoming more civilised. Although its historical journey is littered with barbarism, there is less violence now than, for example, medieval times. But ‘civilisation’ may be the main problem, and one which doesn’t cure but causes the personal trouble of violence along with a myriad of other dehumanising performances attendant on today’s fault-ridden globalised society.