Violence and Social Class

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