Lateral violence is displaced

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

; that is anger and rage is directed towards members within a marginalised or oppressed community rather than towards the oppressors of the community – one's peers rather than adversaries. Developed by scholars within the global indigenous first people's community, this construct is one way of explaining minority-on-minority violence occurring within marginalized and oppressed communities. It is a cycle of abuse and its roots lie in factors such as: colonisation, oppression, intergenerational trauma and the ongoing experiences of racism and discrimination. Those experiencing and those committing lateral violence more likely to be involved in crime in the United States,

the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. In Australia and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, lateral violence is widely seen as an

intergenerational Intergenerationality is interaction between members of different generations.Klimczuk, Andrzej, ''Intergenerationality, Intergenerational Justice, Intergenerational Policies'', n:S. Thompson (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice'', ...

learned pattern and major

social problem A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society and ones that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's cont ...

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

communities. In Australia surveys have reported that up to 95% of Aboriginal youth had witnessed lateral violence in the home, and that 95% of the bullying experienced by Aboriginals was perpetrated by other Aboriginals. The Government of Canada commissioned a study in 2008 by the Minister of Health. The trauma within the boarding school systems across the globe within the Indigenous populations not being able to work through these issues has led to substance and alcohol use. Not being able to have ties to culture predisposes the indigenous communities towards domestic abuse and violence, the aggravating factor in an overwhelming number of the cases involved drugs or alcohol.

Example

An example of inter-generational trauma would be the Corey and Cody Manyshots case involving two Aboriginal youth kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teen. The father of the teens was involved in animal cruelty cases involving a

Bichon Frise A bichon is a distinct Dog type, type of toy dog; it is typically kept as a companion dog. Believed to be descended from the Barbet (dog), Barbet, it is believed the bichon-type dates to at least the 11th century; it was relatively common in 14t ...

and elastic bands. Furthermore, the father threatened to attack reporters at his sons' trials. Corey Manyshots was on bail for defacing the Dashmesh Cultural Centre, a Sikh temple in Calgary. This interpretation through an intergenerational trauma perspective would understand that both Corey and Cody Manyshots were the subject of collective trauma from the colonial injustices passed down from generation to generation and have less of a responsibility for criminal acts and reprehensible behaviours. This interpretation is considered flawed by some and perpetuates violence among Aboriginals.

References

{{Use British English Oxford spelling, date=November 2017 Social concepts Violence against Indigenous people in Canada Harassment and bullying Violence