Physical Violence
Physical Violence
Physical violence refers to the intentional use of physical force against another person in a way that can cause pain, injury, fear, or harm to individuals in institutional settings such as prisons, hospitals, care facilities, or schools.
It manifests itself through beatings, restraints, confinement, or other acts carried out by staff or by the institutional system itself, often as a result of abuse of power and lack of oversight.
Physical violence refers to the intentional use of physical force against another person in a way that can cause pain, injury, fear, or harm. It involves direct physical actions meant to hurt, intimidate, or control someone and may occur as a single serious incident or as part of a repeated pattern over time. Physical violence frequently occurs in interpersonal contexts—including intimate partner relationships, family settings, law enforcement encounters, or public interactions—and is strongly associated with coercion, dominance, and fear-inducing behavior.
Behavioral manifestations may include hitting, punching, slapping, kicking, choking, pushing, grabbing, restraining, or using objects or weapons to inflict harm. It may also involve physically intimidating gestures or physically preventing a person from seeking help. Even acts that do not result in visible injury are clinically significant due to their strong association with future severe violence and fatal outcomes.
Consequences may include acute injuries (eg. bruises, fractures, traumatic brain injury), chronic pain, disability, and elevated risk of long-term physical and psychological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and cardiovascular disorders. Repeated exposure increases vulnerability, impairs perceived safety, and contributes to sustained physiological stress responses.
Where you Find it
Institutional violence refers to forms of abuse, neglect, or degradation of dignity that occur within organizations and structures whose mission is to care for, educate, protect, or support people.
Violent Death – A Statistical Overview
Global picture and the situation in Greece
Sources: WHO (Injuries & Violence; Global Health Estimates) – UNODC Global Study on Homicide – ELSTAT / Hellenic Police – Eurostat. Figures are indicative; verify latest data before publication.
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Suicide / Self-directed violence. ~1 in 6 injury deaths.
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Homicide / Interpersonal violence. ~1 in 10 injury deaths.
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War / conflict – Collective violence. ~1 in 61 injury deaths.
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Wolrdwide, violence-related injuries kill ~1.25 million people each year (of ~4.4M total injury deaths).
Prevention steps
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Recognize the warning signs of escalation
Physical violence is usually preceded by observable build-up.
Watch for:
rising voice and rapid speech;
clenched fists or jaw;
pacing, invading personal space, looming;
flushing or trembling;
fixed, intense staring;
verbal threats or “get out of my way” language;
and throwing or hitting objects as a precursor to hitting people.The key teaching point is that there’s almost always a window between agitation and a blow — and that’s the window to act.
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Prioritize physical safety first
The first decision is not how to talk but whether anyone is in immediate physical danger.
If a blow looks imminent or has already happened, the message is to create distance, get yourself and others (especially children) out of reach, and call emergency services (112), not to try to physically restrain or “stand your ground.”
A person’s instinct to stay and reason with someone mid-escalation can be dangerous.
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De-escalate when it’s safe to engage
When there’s still a window and engaging is safe, simple de-escalation principles help more than most people expect:
Stay calm and lower your own intensity — a quiet, steady voice tends to pull the other person’s arousal down; matching their volume pushes it up.
Give space. Don’t crowd, corner, or touch the person; keep a non-threatening posture (open hands, slightly angled stance rather than squared-up and face-to-face).
Acknowledge the feeling, not the behavior: “I can see you’re furious — I’m listening.” This is not agreement that violence is justified; it’s removing the sense of being unheard that often fuels escalation.
Avoid triggers: no ultimatums, commands, mocking, finger-pointing, or “calm down,” which usually backfires.
Give them an exit. People escalate when they feel trapped; offer a way to step back without losing face (“Let’s get some air”).
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Know when not to engage
De-escalation is not always the right or safe choice. If the person is intoxicated to the point of being unreachable, has a weapon, or is already striking out, talking is not the priority getting to safety and calling for help is.
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After the immediate moment
Once safe, encourage practical follow-through:
ensure anyone injured gets medical attention;
document what happened (useful for both medical and legal purposes);
and recognize that a single incident often signals a pattern that needs addressing rather than a one-off to be brushed aside. -
Connect the person to help
Where the aggression reflects an underlying problem like poor impulse control, substance use, untreated mental health or neurological conditions, chronic stress.
The constructive route is professional support:
their doctor,
a mental health professional,
or anger-management and structured programs.Framing it as help rather than punishment makes it more likely to be accepted.
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Important Note
Separate “the person in front of you” from “the person you live with.”
The in-the-moment de-escalation advice (steps 1–4) suits a one-off flare-up a stranger, a colleague, an agitated patient.
Ongoing or domestic violence (step 7) needs different, safety-first guidance.
How to ask for help
Organizations, helplines, and support resources.