Violence Spectrum
Directions: Read each scenario. Reflect on the degree to which you think the person in the scenario is being violent or not violent. Pay attention to which person’s actions are being evaluated, as indicated in bold, where appropriate. Write a number between 1-10 that reflects your answer to the prompt, relative to the centerline of the violence spectrum. In a word or a phrase, expand on why you chose this number.
In the example below, Amy believes someone’s action is a 3 on the violence spectrum, Bob thinks 6, and John wrote 8.
When sharing in a large group, keep your answers relatively brief.
Scenario | Point Value | Reason(s) | |
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| 1 | Gloria spray-paints “this insults women” on a sexist billboard. From your point of view, is her action violent or not violent? |
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| 2 | Hank drains the oil from his car and pours it into the gutter. Is his action violent or not? |
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| 3 | A person does nothing as a man on a nearby street repeatedly slaps a woman who appears to be his wife or girlfriend. Is the onlooker’s action violent or not? |
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| 4 | A bartender serves a customer another drink even though she knows the customer is an alcoholic and is drunk. Is the bartender’s action violent or not? |
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| 5 | Beverly shoots a burglar who comes into her house. From your point of view, is her action violent or not? |
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| 6 | A character on a TV police show is murdering other people. Is the police show violent or not? |
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| 7 | A junior high teacher shows a tape of a beheading of a person in Iraq to his class. Is the teacher’s action violent or not? |
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| 8 | A waste incinerator is releasing toxic waste into the air in a low-income neighborhood. An environmental rights group protests at the incinerator, eventually causing it to shut down. Are the group’s actions violent or not violent? |
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| 9 | During the Summery Olympics of 2004, the US media showed/interviewed spouses of competing athletes, but never a partner of a homosexual athlete. Is the media’s lack of coverage violent or not? |
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| 10 | Joe puts mouse poison out in his house? Is this violent or not? |
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| 11 | A company decides to move to Mexico to save labor costs. This costs a small town in the US 200 jobs while creating 250 jobs for Mexicans. Are the company’s actions violent or not? |
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| 12 | Greg spanks his child who is misbehaving. Is his action violent or not? |
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