Ecology of violence in urban peripheries during health emergencies

Abstract

Violence is a health problem and a determinant of health emergencies. Its exercise goes beyond conspicuous interpersonal aggression, it comprises a network of violence with structural dimensions. Imposed precariousness, exploitation, persecution, territorial expulsions, incarceration practices, and household aggressions harm peripheral subjects and find in health emergencies the possibility of elevating themselves to the condition of a syndemic of violences. This has happened in the Covid-19 pandemic, in recent epidemics and it is expected to happen in the next health emergency. From the ecology of violence, it is understood why in times of health emergencies, violence is not just a consequence of physical isolation; why even domestic violence mobilizes more than the endogenous dispositions of the perpetrators; and why the neglect of violence against animals and environmental violence, in addition to harming other sentient beings, hinders prevention strategies for humans.