This paper is an analysis of violence in American society and its impact on the duties and responsibilities of the social worker. The United States has long been recognized as having one of the most violent cultures of all developed nations. While sociologists disagree on the reasons for this situation, they nevertheless acknowledge the significant role that violence plays within the American environment. Some scientists argue that violence is encouraged in the individual by societal forces, while others contend that individuals take advantage of existing circumstances and act on their innately violent impulses, forcing their environment to become a more violent place in which to live because of their actions. While the truth probably lies somewhere between these two extreme positions, the social worker must nevertheless contend with the effects of violence as a significant factor in carrying out the duties of the profession. Therefore, the social work practitioner must understand violence as a major part of the overall system in order to deal more effectively with other problems, issues, and policies. This paper is a brief attempt to place the issue of violence into the context faced by the social work professional.
Violence is not an American phenomenon, yet violence in the United States is a significant social problem. David E. Newton (1996) observes, "By almost any measure one cares to use, American society is far more violent than that of any developed nation in the world (with the possible exception of South Africa)" (p. 6). James Gilligan (1996) defines violence as "the infliction of physical injury on a person by a person, especially lethal injury, but also including those injuries that are serious enough to be life-threatening, mutilating, or disabling" (p. 19). Dorothy Van Soest and Shirley Bryant (1995) expand the definition: "Any act or situation in which a person injures another, including both direct attack...