Tackling Violence

Full course description

Today, violence appears rampant across all levels and sectors of society. Media reports paint a grim picture of the world we live in – ranging from violence erupting in Ukraine, to an increase of domestic violence on females since the pandemic started, to brutality and racism within law enforcement, and school shootings as a few examples. Violence seems to be a key aspect of human nature, and has historically been an area of interest, from the violence in Roman arenas to modern videogames and true crime fascination. Violence happens everywhere – at work, in schools, in health care facilities, on the streets, and at home. In our constantly evolving society, it has become one of the biggest societal issues to tackle. No matter which field of study a student focuses on, how to tackle crime and violence is relevant for everyone. True comprehension of violence lies at the intersection of various disciplines. Facilitating such understanding will enable students to translate the complex nature of violence into practical prevention strategies and encourage curiosity beyond disciplinary boundaries. Students will interact with societal partners (e.g., institutions and working groups dedicated to combating violence) to identify possible preventions. In this project, students will transform their newly acquired knowledge and skills into practical implementation by applying directly to society’s needs based on requests of the stakeholders. Examples could be projects that target changing beliefs and increasing awareness, which has been shown to be successful in preventing violence at an early stage (Steketee et al., 2016).