A report submitted to the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence.

Judy Torrance introduces the concept of public violence to denote acts widely considered to be violent and of importance to society. Public violence differs from related concepts like political violence in explicitly recognizing that the subject matter is socially constructed.

This volume is a thorough re-examination of civil unrest and discontent in the United States, particularly the intersection of democracy and violence. The work argues that unrest and violence are embedded rituals of social and political "disconsent" and are constitutive features of citizen-based democracy. As such, they are part of how democratic life works: unrest is the eruptive, visible grammar of citizens in a democratic society. Democracy and citizen unrest and violence in the United States are set within a deeper history. The author traces the roots of American democracy – and the rituals of disconsent – to their sources in ancient Mediterranean political society, demonstrating that early democratic theory and practice understood unrest and revolt as morally grounded. Featuring case studies of recent episodes of political and social "disconsent" in the United States, the volume contextualizes the Black Lives Matter protests, unrest around police and institutional violence, and the Capitol insurrection on January 6. Through this, the book provides an important social theoretical lens through which to understand American discontent around racial injustice, political suppression, and citizen disillusionment.

This anthology examines a number of issues related to violence within the media landscape. Violence has been a topic of continued concern within American culture and society. Although there have been numerous sociological and historical studies of violence and its origins, there is relatively little systematic analysis of violence within media representation, even as this issue becomes preeminent within public discourse. This anthology examines a number of issues related to violence within the media landscape, using various methodologies to suggest the implications of the increasing obsession with violence for postmodern civilization.

Examines violence. Looks at characteristics of victims, offenders, and offenses, places where violence occurs, and trends over time. Also examines theories used to understand types of violence and solutions proposed, including proactive (preventive) and reactive (punishment) strategies.