2013 Reports

Violence and Social Class

Ramakrishnan, Vivek; Smith, Raymond Arthur

Violence is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the exercise of physical force so as to inflict injury on, or cause damage to, persons or property; action or conduct characterized by this; treatment or usage tending to cause bodily injury or forcibly interfering with personal freedom.” Legally speaking, violent crime is composed of four types of offenses: murder/manslaughter, forcible rape, aggravated assault and robbery. Social class and class status are terms synonymous with socioeconomic class status, “a composite measure that typically incorporates economic, social, and work status … measured by income, education, and work status [respectively]” according to the Center of Disease Control.