Violence as a Product of Imposed Order

Abstract

Many hypotheses concerning the causes of the violence which exists in our society have been presented for discussion by scholars and researchers. In this Article, Professor Shaffer explores another possible explanation for the violence. He suggests that the imposition of structured forms of order by a political-legal system (the "structuring" function) in conflict with the system's role of preventing acts of victimization (the "hygienic" function) produces a frustration of citizens' personal, economic, and social expectations. This frustration as a result may lead to aggression and violence.