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I believe that the world is not more violent. It appears to be so because of our perception. We are able to read and watch on TV media reports which represent acts of violence. This have been impossible 100 years ago. But compare the world now to 1914 or 1942 and we can safely say that it is less violent at this present time. There is hope that with the UN and a greater respect for human rights by governments around the world that negotiation will replace war. 'Jaw not war' appears to becoming the norm. Let us hope so!
Alan Bird, UK

Even considering the speed at which our developed world receives reports and news events, and not forgetting that with these new technologies our world seems to be a smaller place, there can still be no doubt that we are living in very violent times. Living as I do in a relatively peaceful part of the world, the tension and underlying instability that results from the general violent attitude of so many, can still be plainly felt.
Simon, UK

The world is no more violent than it has ever been, less so perhaps. What has changed however, is how violence is reported. Today's media is full of "societal panics". Not long ago it was mugging which has, according to the media, died a death...or is it more likely that the media view it as an old issue which will be resuscitated at a later time. With the media at its strongest ever, is it any wonder that people believe that this is a more turbulent and violent age in which to live?
If the streets are terrifying to walk now, were they any less so when the teddy-boys and mods roamed them in their gangs? Or is that all romanticised due to its bygone era? As for films depicting more and more violent images, well, the film industry and its writers have a job to "tap" into societies' greater worries. It is not just violence that is on the increase in visual imagery as censorship's stranglehold loosens. There is obviously going to be an influx of disturbance as the writers and directors eventually portray their visions of the world...be they true or false!!
Keith Dyer, Scotland

Judging from the reporting in the media, everyday life is getting more violent. However, judging from my personal experience, modern life is not violent. I've travelled and put myself about as much as the next person, but I could count on one hand the number of incidents that I have witnessed that even come close to being described as violent.
Tom Bowshall, Australia

Yes, I believe violence is increasing, and not just the reporting of it by the media. I work in a casualty unit and have seen a year on year increase in violent assaults on staff. In my hometown, violence and the threat of violence are a reality. What to blame this on?
I believe a breakdown in the social structure and a general decline in the moral standards of our communties are partly to blame. A lack of respect for authority, beginning at school quite often nowadays, shows that this problem covers all age groups. I don't believe that TV or videos are to blame. That is a quick reply to a deeper rooted problem that the politicians don't want to face. Is there a quick answer? No. Unfortunately its a sign of the times, and will probably get worse.
J Southern, England

Of course the world is more violent. And as long as self-promoting social engineers insist on formulating nebulous excuses for violent behaviour, such acts will continue to go unpunished. Since violent criminals are most often repeat offenders, we can conclude that there is a direct correlation between a lenient justice system and repeat crime. Any civilised society needs to make it abundantly clear that violence against citizens will not be tolerated. No excuses, no tales of childhood abuse, no baseless accusations of pre-emptive self-defence.
Rick Slemmer, USA

There is little doubt the world is now a more violent place. It seems to be a symptom of a society that finds it increasingly difficult to resolve its own problems without resorting to violence. It could simply be people's frustration with those systems that society has in place (or indeed lack of systems) and perhaps people need to be more involved in the setup and structuring of such systems in order to reverse the current trends.
Glenn Rose-Ward, UK

More violent than when? 1917? 1942? I think not.
Roy Matthews, United Kingdom

Our world has become more violent and not only because the media shows it more on TV. The biggest blame lies with the parents (at least in this country). They don't spend enough time with their children and expect them to grow up faster, generally speaking. Children are put in front of the TV and are allowed to watch pretty much whatever they feel like. Since the media is getting more and more "bloodthirsty", the kids see so many horrible crimes and violence on TV, and see people getting away with it, that they naturally think it's OK to be violent. Parents have to censor more concerning their kids' "television intake."
Nicole B Green, USA

Yes, no doubt we live in a much more violent society than before. In addition to the negative impact on children of violence shown on TV and the absence of most mothers who think that a career is more important than their daughter or son (possibly because they were treated that way as a child), the impact of the increase of drugs and alcohol consumption has a lot to do with the increase in theft and violence on the streets.
In the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the Italians decided that the best way to reduce violence among the crowds was to prevent them from consuming any type of alcohol. They were right, and it worked. It will be interesting to see what happens this year in France. Alcohol is not only bad for our health and society, but it is God, our Creator, who advises us (and forbids us in the case of Islam) from drinking. It is the root of all evil.
Tarek, Egypt

Kids learn violence from American TV shows and you can buy a gun very easily.
HJ Kristel, USA

No. Our world has not become a more violent place. There has always been violence in humanity and until our governments are ready to genetically engineer it out of us, there always will be. As far as becoming more violent, I don't think we can top some of our ancestors in the ancient world. Now they were violent.
Gideon Stargrave, USA

I think we've seen two extremely significant developments. The first is graphic casual violence as entertainment, and the second is huge technological advances in the destructive power available to individuals. The violence as entertainment often features the "sexy" new weaponry - Dirty Harry's Magnums, Terminator's arsenal etc. The "norms" of the United States - which has always been a rough and tumble country, where virtually anyone who wants arms can get them - are penetrating other countries. It's "normal" for people to be caught in a cross-fire; for massive force to be used by both criminals and the forces of law and order.
We went to buy a TV in a very respectable department store. Dozens of sets were switched on, most showing violent, destructive films with people suffering and covered in blood - the usual stuff. My daughter, aged around 30 months at the time, found it very distressing, but everyone else was looking on impassively - a healthy reaction.
Stuart Harris, Malaysia (soon to be Netherlands)

Any student of history will tell you that the world has always been a violent and dangerous place, from Genghis Khan to the forced colonisation of my home country, Australia. The only difference is that it now appears that violence has become an individual action rather than an institutionalised one, and that the nature of media reporting emphasises the gory and grotesque. I agree that crimes like those committed by paedophiles are horrifying and appalling, but you can't possibly believe that these never happened in the past. Perhaps those remembering the good old days are doing so through rose-tinted specs, or forgetting that they may not have heard of a murder committed ten miles away, whereas now we seem to be told about every murder in the world.
Fiona, England

More violent compared to when? I think I'd prefer to take my chances now rather than say, 1914 or 1942. The kind of people who claim that we live in a more violent society are speaking from the perspective of a brief period in the mid 50's to early 60's when crime was fairly low, wars were fairly low key (for the West anyway) and the future looked bright (if you ignored the threat of Armageddon).
The problem was that the Eisenhower/McMillan period was an aberration historically that gave people the idea that the natural order of things was constant improvement in all areas of life. The truth is that nothing much changes, and violence is just one part of daily life that humans have always lived with in one form or another.
David Evans, UK

The technology of destruction is far more powerful, so violence can be more extreme. However, the world has always been a violent and dangerous place. Crimes are reported and tracked far more efficiently now, which might give the impression of a more violent world. But I don't think this is the case. I think we often over-estimate human beings and their capacity for pacifism, rational thought and controlled action. We are, after all, animals, albeit with the ability to create weapons. The greatest failing in humans is ignorance to make use of the lessons we learn. Violence has always been here. People have hated other people for insignificant or outdated reasons because they are simply manipulated by their leaders and the media.
Pete Burrell, UK

I have lived and worked in Oslo, Norway, for the past two years, and, while I have never personally been a victim of violence whilst living in Britain, I have certainly witnessed a great deal of aggressive behaviour, and there is a general feeling of having to look over your shoulder all the time. This kind of fear is virtually non-existent where I live now, and random violence practically unknown, although it is certainly no Utopia - (there is drug-related crime, particularly burglaries). This is partly explained, in my view, by the lack of overcrowding, a strong safety net for the socially deprived, and extremely low unemployment. However, just as important is the strong sense of roots and community, and pride in citizenship. Some of the flag-waving strikes one as a bit ridiculous actually, but I think it all helps to counteract the sense of social alienation that is perhaps at the root of much of the violence in Britain.
Jane Thompson, Norway

South Africa - need I say more. When I stop at a traffic light - whatever time of the day - I look for a bush and sign or something that someone can hide behind. I look in all my mirrors incase someone is sneaking up behind me. But I don't even realise I'm doing it now - it's the way of life here in South Africa, especially in Johannesburg. All of my friends have emigrated to England and I'll be doing the same in a year's time. So to answer your question - YES - I don't know about the world, but definitely South Africa.
Melanie Joubert, South Africa

Yes, I would definitely say that our world has become a more violent place. In fact I feel violence is on the increase day by day. Take a newspaper or magazine; the first thing you come across is news on violence. Glancing through the Times of India dated April 20, the first heading is 'Militants kill 13 villagers in Udhampur'. Much to my disappointment I realised that there is not a single news item on that page which is positive or makes you feel happy. Everywhere there is violence, controversies, betrayals, abuse and so on. Most of the present day movies also highlight these crimes in such a way that I strongly feel such movies can give people ideas and motivate them to commit such crimes in real life. One might even argue that the crimes that are committed in real life are shown in movies as realistic as they are!!
However, I feel that our world has lost all its peace and harmony over the years. Now I only hope and pray to God that, at least, all those innocent little children all over the world have a good future and for their sake, God, please cleanse this world of all its evils and make this world a beautiful and peaceful place to live in.
Sindhu, Sultanate of Oman

The world is no more violent than it has ever been in human history. The difference is the world has instant communication via TV, radio and the internet which serves as instant reflection of ourselves. Hopefully the human race is growing up and realising we don't want or need violence as an acceptable part of our society to solve problems. If you are really angry about something get a shovel, dig a big hole in the garden and plant an enormous tree!
Tracy Eggleton, Australia

More violent than when? Was Pol Pot worse than Hitler or Stalin? Is the gang violence in American cities today worse than it was in Al Capone's and Jesse James' eras? Is the present-day IRA and Unionist violence worse than, say, the mass murder of the Thirty Years' War? We must first define what we mean by "violence" and what era we wish to use for comparison.
James Castro, USA

Our world is no more violent than it was years ago. What makes the difference is that we, as a world, are more connected than we used to be. What used to take days, now takes minutes to report, write, and send across the world. Violence has always been a part of our world. The fact that we used to leave our doors unlocked is inconsequential; trust and violence are two different things. Whilst trust stays the same, violence mutates, making us think that it has spread from other parts of the world, when the actual cause was a kid being abused in his or her perfect, trusting, surburban neighborhood.
Evan Hansen, USA

Mass media reporting just makes it seem that way. Think if the Russian assassinations in the 30's had been fully reported! The upside is that possibly we will value human life more, with all this detailed reporting.
David Dudley, USA

No, unless you're only looking back a short time. In Victorian England, for example, there were areas of London even the police wouldn't dare enter, and street crime was endemic, despite draconian penalties.
Therion Ware, Malaysia

I think that violence portrayed in the media is just representing real life. Violence exists in this world, and it's better that people know about it.
Peter Dunthorne, UK

It is my opinion that the world has become a more violent place because of the liberal ideal of making us freer. The great mass of us are frightened by violence, which makes its use by those prepared to use violence more effective. The desire to intervene, to help, has been diminished by the Law's persecution of those who do intervene, seeing all as innocent, even those plainly in the wrong. Punishment is not meted out to those who use violence.
In the schoolyard violence is a stronger culture amongst boys, be it actual or through sport or video games, than the culture of learning. Some never shake this off, becoming violent adults. Violence is learned and once used successfully, becomes a strategy for success. Let it fail, through punishment curtailing freedom or by meeting a stronger force, and it will not be learned, and so will pass out of the repertoire of skills possessed by members of a society.
Andrew Simmons, UK

The world has probably become more violent within individual societies, however I believe that there is now less tension internationally than there was recently. When I was growing up in the 1980s there was massive tension between East and West - this has now gone. Also, the war in the former Yugoslavia has ended. The main international conflicts now appear to be in less developed areas such as Africa. There is little doubt though, that violent crime within our society has increased.
Ian Jones, England

After Somalia, Rawanda and Bosnia the answer is a certain yes. The mere scale of conflicts today as compared to yesteryears is a lucid indication of this.
Akshay Srivastava, USA

Whether or not it has become more violent in real terms, people perceive it to be more violent. In the U.S. citizens are bombarded with news and entertainment that encourages them to see themselves as under siege. When you add in my country's self destructive love affair with fire arms, you get a population hiding in their homes with fingers on the trigger of their hand guns. Violence, real or imagined, is destroying our communities and eroding the ties that hold our society together.
Kristina Carey, USA

One look at the history of man revals a violent Past. Who said the future would be any different?
Mark Bagnall, USA

There is much more aggression. Drivers snarl and spout curses. Aggrieved consumers complain and are happy only if the object of their complaint is fired. As parents pursue "scorched earth" consumerism, feral children commit horrible acts with little comprehension of the magnitude of their acts.
Patrick Fitzgerald, USA

I think the world has become less dangerous in regards to international hostilities and more dangerous in regards to random acts of irrational violence.
Isaac Husain, USA

The world is no more violent than it used to be. For example, 17th century conflicts in Europe like the Thirty Years' War saw mass slaughters comparable to those in Bosnia or Rwanda. The difference now is that modern weapons, such as assault rifles and semtex bombs, make it easier for people to hurt others.
Emma Clare, Cambridge, UK

Yes, unfortunately I believe the world has become more violent. Schools all over the country now have detectors to check the children for weapons, dogs to sniff out drugs, and police to patrol the hallways. What a terrible way to have to go to school. I am 50 years old and when I went to school we did not have a need for any of this. It is true that we may have better reporting and more reporting of things going on in the world then there was back in my school days, but the fact remains that we had no need for the security measures to protect us as the kids do now. We lived a safer and moral life. Television and today's music has an impact on the children of today. They are exposed to so much violence that they seem to think that this is normal behaviour. That also brings us to the lack of parental control and the breakdown of the family. In today's society, at least in the US, the breakdown of the family, along with the violence children are exposed to, contribute to the violent and angry society we live in. With so many children living in single parent homes and the majority of moms now in the work force, who is there for the children? The children are our most important assets and yet they are being neglected. In a home where there is one parent, or two working parents, the children just don't get the attention that they need. Moms and dads are tired from work and the children are not as well supervised as in a home where Dad works and mom stays home to take care of the family. Our world needs to start to change the moral values back to the importance of the family. When moral values are gone, there is no hope for a good, safe place to live.
Donna V, USA

I would disagree with those of us who say that we live in a more violent world today than in the past. As a student of history I know that the world in centuries past has been a far more dangerous place to live. Assassination was an accepted means for the transference of political power, religious persecutions, mass murder, "clearances", and the like, have taken place throughout time. There have always been predators in our societies. The big difference today is that violent acts are highly scrutinized in this age of rapid mass communication, which makes it harder for perpetrators to go undiscovered and unpunished for their crimes. The age-old conclusion of older generations, that things were better then, is no more than the psychological predilection to forget the bad and remember only the good.
David MacKinnon USA

Society is more violent, though thankfully not by wars; and there are no easy answers. Small rural communities used to enforce good behaviour, for fear of being ostracised; reinforced by a widespread belief in Christian values. It seems unlikely that we will see either returning in the short-term. But we could do something about the nations number one baby-sitter: the television. Broadcasters cringe when asked to teach morality, but, even more than teachers, they are the ones with the opportunity to do so.
George Kendall, UK

Yes. Our world is becoming more and more violent. We have created an industry that thrives on violence and it is certainly growing by leaps and bounds. Also, there is more demand by individuals for respect of their civil rights, not forgetting that they have responsibilities as citizens, which they seldom want to exercise.
Hensley Alexander, Canada

More violent than what? Or than when? I think the level of violence is no different, just the amount it is reported to us has gone up.
Melinda Gierisch, United States of America

I don't think the world has become more violent. What has happened is that people are less tolerant of violence and are more likely to report it to the authorities. There is more reporting of violence these days but this is more a result of the heightened awareness of the issue than because there's more violence to report. On an objective level, can anyone truly say that there's more violence now than during the two world wars?
Neil Tonks, UK

Children are being sensitized to violence on television and they are gradually incorporating that violence into their own lives. Eventually these children grow up into adults and if their parents do not deter their violent behavior (ie./tormenting animals and other children), they will not know what is acceptable and what is poor behaviour. Society today has no structure; adults are dealing with their own insecurities and trying to fulfil their own lives hence, neglecting their children (ie./allowing them to watch TV for hours on end). We need to become a society where two people getting married, staying married, and raising their children is the most challenging and rewarding job possible. I feel it is totally unacceptable for parents to let children "find their own way" and "fend for themselves". Don't kick them out at age 18 when they refuse to pay rent; after all, they are your children not your tenants. I was taught, by example, that a parent protected and guided his child and that the child obeyed his parents. If we don't want our children to become a dysfunctional part of society, we must raise in them goodness from the day that they are born until the day they really can fend for themselves. A child is a small piece of clay, mould it well.
Rami Daoud, Canada

Read about Mayhew's London, or the state of crime in London before Robert Peel's reforms, or Trolloppe's novels, or the situation in Glasgow portrayed in No Mean City, or even the political street battles in London in the thirties, and I think you will be convinced that today's world is not significantly more violent than the past. What has changed is that those most affected by violence have more of a voice than they did fifty or a hundred years ago.
Jon LIvesey, USA

As a woman and a Londoner currently based in Singapore, a virtually crime-free State, life is without question more carefree when nagging worries about one's children's and one's own safety no longer have to be at the forefront of one's mind. At home in London taking safety precautions is pre-programmed into my daily routine. Depending on the hour of the day or night, I evaluate the safest means of transport to use and where and where not to go - what an indictment of society today! When I scour the press and internet pages for worldwide news I am depressed and concerned by the sheer scale of violent acts that jump out at me. What world are we creating for our children?
Zoe Richardson, Singapore

Older people who say that the world wasn't as violent "back in the day" are either engaging in selective memory or victims of their own naivete. Study newspapers from a hundred years ago. What an eye opener for anyone who ever thought that life was more civil back then. People nowadays are more aware of violence because it is more widely reported and, unfortunately, glorified in the entertainment industry.
Faye, USA

I think that values in society have declined. We have been encouraged, especially in the 1980's to view success in terms of financial achievements. To some extent I believe this kind of capitalism to be convenient to short term government ideals. However this goal is never ending, there is no long term satisfaction in money, and the social seperatism which always follows capitalism is psychologically damaging to people. Increased relative differences in wealth fuels social unrest and is largely the reason for the increased crime we are witnessing today. Setting people against each other for the sake of financial prosperity is btoh immoral and at difference with the fundamental cooperation that has built society thus far. It takes generations to build healthy society, but only decades to destroy it! I believe that the philosophies of the last government have given us an unhealthy reminder of this fact, which will take generations to redress.
Paul Frindle, UK

The people of the world have always been violent. Look at this century: over 100 million murdered by their goverment (USSR, Nazi Germany, China, Cambodia, the list goes on). As long as people are driven by envy and reminded of why they should be envious by demagogic leaders, violence will continue. From Bill Clinton telling American Blacks that the White man is stealing his share of the pie to peasents fighting over stolen pigs, there is always somebody speaking the language of hate and violence. This is the world and how it has always been. No amount of Nanny statism will change it. In the U.S., in years gone by, the citizens used to beat the criminals; now the police do it so we don't have to get our hands dirty and we can look the other way. The end result is the same.
Jim Stevens, United States

What is there to effectively deter violent crime??? NO ONE has the right to detrimentally change someone else's life (or a victim's family) for as long as they live and yet the world lets the violent criminal off with a slap on the wrist. I laugh at when the courts find some murderer guilty because I know that in a few years they'll be back out on the street. I was married to a parolee from a maximum security prison and he and his friends laughed at our judicial system. And with what I saw, I could see why. We have heard so much about "TV violence de-sensitizing kids" that we don't even bother to think about it anymore. Maybe when we do something in that area, we might see a change for the good.
Diane, USA

There is not more violence, it is just of a different type and is more openly reported and glorified in the media. There probably was more violence by states (in the form of wars) in previous times than there is now. Now most violence is perpetrated by individuals on their fellows or by a small number of very oppressive regimes. The media is responsible for portraying much more violence than actually exists because they think it excites people. In many cases it just frightens people and prevents them from going out or letting their kids walk home from school.
Barry, England

Walking down the street can be a terrifying experience for anyone, not just women. There has to be some sort of cycle to violence that will eventually lead to things getting much better again. People used to be able to leave their back doors unlocked - let us see that happening again.
Melanie Falmer, UK

I don't think this is a more violent world. It is just a matter of the power of reporting and the quest for audience figures. There has always been plenty of crime about - murder, theft, vandalism - they certainly are nothing new. What is new, however, is our concern for telling the world about it and trying to prevent it happening again.
Chris Fox, US

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