ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an analysis which explores mechanisms explaining non-repressive or non-political violations of physical integrity rights — violations. According to the penal violations mechanism, physical integrity rights are violated as agents enforce social norms. Social norms are not legally binding and enforceable through the judicial system. Recreational violations of physical integrity rights are those that are committed for the personal pleasure of the perpetrator or others. For incidental or idiosyncratic type of violation, agents are not motivated to violate rights but violations are incidental to contact between potential victims and potential perpetrators of abuse. Contact is also more likely following natural disasters where agents encounter potential victims in often conflictual contexts. Police or military sent to assist disaster relief operations are not expected to repress disaster victims but the increased exposure with the population provides opportunities to either abuse power or for overwhelmed and poorly trained agents to use unwarranted force.
