by Dr. Ana Nogales, Ph.D.

Violence has always existed, and, tragically, we continue to see new evidence of its devastation every day. In our current society, as throughout human history, wars are fought due to political, religious and economic motives. Violence against woman, which has also existed for thousands of years, continues to plague our world. Violence flares up in schools and universities, as well as in our places of employment. Rather than simply committing suicide, a mentally ill person may take the lives of thirty strangers before killing himself. Atrocious shootings and murders occur repeatedly, as perpetrators are repeatedly deemed “lunatic.”

Violence is like a cancer that erupts throughout our society, goes through brief periods of remission, and then breaks out again, taking the lives of more innocent victims.
And because millions of people in this country own guns, which are sold without adequate regulation, gun owners are essentially given a license to kill. Our society not only appears to be unable to control the cancer of violence, it also provides violent role models through our mass media. Violence on television and in movies, as well as in the music and videos that are marketed to young people, is so prevalent that it rarely merits protest.

How can we help to create a less violent, healthier world? Is a nonviolent society merely an unrealistic utopian vision? We know that violence develops due to our ingrained beliefs, attitudes, values and habits, so how can we change those ideas and behaviors? According to the Boys Club, an organization dedicated to the prevention of violence, family and community environments too often breed destructive, unhealthy attitudes and behavior. The Boys Club refers to such negative environments as the “Omega Model,” and it identifies the following risk factors that can be controlled or minimized:

Teaching youth about the Omega Model and anti-violence guidelines has resulted not only in the reduction of violence in schools and universities, but in higher academic achievement. Although this model has not been implemented at the national level, its positive results are encouraging. Other programs designed to combat violence, such as those employing relaxation and meditation training, have been tested with similar results, especially on the West Coast.

The bottom line is to recognize that program models with proven positive results do exist, and they can be implemented in the home. So there is hope for a less violent future. This doesn’t mean that individuals won’t have access to guns or that violent crimes won’t continue. But while we may not be able to eradicate it from our lives entirely, it is within our power to diminish the cancer of violence in our increasingly vulnerable world.