We can all think of an example of senseless violence. But where does the term ‘Senseless violence’ come from? And what are the causes of senseless violence?
What causes violence?
Maja Braderic from Nijmegen was sixteen when she was murdered in 2003. The main suspect said he killed Maja because he wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone. The judge did not accept this reason. There must have been more going on. Argument, jealousy, past trauma, or something else. But this perpetrator actually gave a very good reason to kill someone, according to sociological research by the University of Rotterdam.
The suspect even gave the best reason. If you have an argument with someone, there are dozens of ways to resolve it. Murder may be one of them, but it is not immediately at the top. But if you want to know what it feels like to kill someone, there is only one thing you can do: kill someone.
The fact that there are people who commit violence for violence’s sake, because they enjoy it, is an image of humanity that we do not want. A perpetrator who indicates that he killed someone because he wanted to know what it feels like to kill someone receives a higher then punish someone else who, for example, declares that his girlfriend had cheated on him and he was furious about it. This same sociological research from the University of Rotterdam shows that we do not accept that the reason for violence lies in the violence itself. We always look for a factor like social, economic or psychological problems. Violence is always seen as a means to an end. But actually we should look at the moment of the violence itself, at the experience of it.
Origin of senseless violence
Many Dutch people can still remember the death of Meindert Tjoelker on September 13, 1997. This boy was celebrating his bachelor’s night, but was beaten to death because he had confronted four men when they were breaking down bicycles.
This tragic event led to the concept of Senseless violence in the Netherlands. Following this event, a minute’s silence was held throughout society . This was intended to make it clear that society is concerned about the increasing senseless violence.
Partly due to the massive turnout for the commemoration and minute’s silence, the concept of senseless violence gained meaning in the Netherlands, which is still used today .
Football hooliganism
One of the best-known forms of violence, purely for the experience of it, is the violence of football supporters. These so-called hooligans not only enjoy the violence itself, but they also get a kick out of the high that this violence gives them. This intoxication is even a reason for the hooligans to organize violence. The life of a hooligan is purely about committing violence because it makes them feel good. They fight with the opponent, fight with the police and demolish trains.
For hooligans, fighting is only a modest part of the entire football violence. The fighting is over within a few minutes. Most of the time hooligans fantasize about violence. Every conversation by a hooligan is about violence. They look forward to Sunday’s match all week long. For example, they figure out how to stay out of the hands of the riot police and police, and they make telephone agreements with supporters of the opposing party to fight. The high that this brings is the reason for a hooligan to continue this behavior.
Another reason for the continued football violence is the fact that hooligans are in large numbers. This makes them feel powerful and gives them an unbeatable feeling . In this case the term peer pressure comes into play. A simple example of this is that when you see someone else demolish a train, you think you can do it yourself. The result is that you participate in the demolition of the train yourself.