Stating that violence, which is a social problem, has psychological roots, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan notes that violence is related to the lack of control of anger in people. Noting that people with high narcissism use violence against others when they are criticized, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "The person who uses violence has no self-confidence. Violence is a sign of weakness." Emphasizing that violence is a learned behavior, Tarhan pointed out that the example of violence in the family affects the child much more than the violence in virtual games.
Üsküdar University Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan evaluated the psychological origins and psychopathological effects of violence, which is frequently on the agenda and is a social problem.
Stating that there are two main basic emotions in human beings, one of them is sexual impulses and the second is aggression impulses, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "These two emotions seem to be the causes of violence. Violence needs to be socially learned. One can be violent not only against others but also against oneself. One can also inflict violence on oneself in one's inner world. There was a case; years ago he cut his arm and dipped bread in the blood and ate it. A pathological example of violence and that person enjoyed it. Human is an interesting being. You cannot see this in any animal."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the feeling of violence can emerge in various ways in human beings and said, "We have inner basic powers. These come out as a disorder of use. If violence is accepted in society, these increase. For example, there is an area where violence is accepted; swearing, for example. Violence is accepted on football fields."
Why has violence increased today?
Stating that there are types of violence such as psychological, physical and emotional violence, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that the incidents of violence have increased all over the world today and said the following:
"Mobbing the person, ignoring the person and doing this systematically is psychological violence. If it is done within the family, it is called domestic violence. There are statistical data in the USA. '% of the patients who applied to emergency services applied due to domestic violence. I don't have information about our emergency services, but if we do, I don't think it is as high as 17%. This shows that violence is a global problem. So, why has violence increased today? Before, people were more savage, more primitive. Violence is in human nature.
Narcissism increases violence
One reason that increases violence is narcissism. The ego of the person is so high. For example, there are two friends staying in the same room in the dormitory. One of them can inflict violence on the other because 'Why did you eat the chocolate in the shared fridge? When a person's actions are commented on in narcissism, the person with high narcissism sees the other party as an enemy. Being closed to criticism is the main reason for violence. People with high narcissism are prone to violence and when criticized, they inflict violence on others. But educated narcissists make others commit violence."
A violent person is a coward
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that violence against animals, violence against objects and being hitting and breaking also means violence and said, "The object of violence is important. A narcissistic person usually inflicts violence on people who are weaker than him/her. He gets angry, he inflicts violence on his child or animal to relieve his pain. Emotions where violence changes direction usually occur when the person is angry and cannot control his/her reaction to the person. Violent people are cowards in the background. The violent person lacks self-confidence. By shouting or hitting, he/she tries to say 'I exist, I am strong'. Violence is a sign of weakness. Civilized people seek their rights without resorting to violence and using persuasion. People who have the ability to express their feelings verbally do not resort to violence. There are people who whistle in cemeteries. You say, "What a brave man, he is not afraid at all!" In fact, this is how they overcome their fears in order to cope with them. Violence is related to the lack of control of the feeling of anger in human beings."
Stating that the feeling of aggression is innate just like sexuality, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "The feeling of aggression is a feeling given to protect oneself in case of any threat. But humans abuse this emotion. Animals also have it, but a lion does not attack if it is full. The animal does not attack unless it enters the animal's safe zone. But man is not like that. People see everywhere as their own space."
Live example of violence at home affects the child
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also talked about the tendency towards violence in children and said, "If there is live violence at home, the child reflects it. It can be manifested in the form of beating his/her sibling or throwing toys. Violence in games does not affect the child as much as at home. Parents should explain to the child the harm of violence in games and that it is a bad thing. Aggression is genetic but violence emerges through social learning. Role models are important in violence."
Violence should not be responded with violence
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the person who shouts and yells can use violence at any time, and that the battlefield for this person is to use violence, and said, "Let's say one of the spouses is shouting. The understanding that 'if he is shouting, you shout too, throw plates and bowls' is wrong. This was the understanding of feminism in the 1960s. This understanding has been changed. A person who shouts acts with the feeling brain. You pull that person to the thinking brain. If you say 'Why are you shouting? I don't understand you' to a person who is shouting and screaming, they will lower their voice. We see this a lot in emergency services. Most of the patients who come to the emergency room are both physically and mentally injured. They are afraid and anxious. If you touch the wounded tissue, people jump, but if you touch the intact wound, nothing happens. People also mentally want their wounds not to be touched."
Can violence be prevented?
Stating that it is possible to prevent and treat violence, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "It is necessary to find the cause of violence. When a person is depressed, they cannot control their anger. Some people withdraw and some people get angry. We treat with new generation antidepressants. There was such a case. Our client was a teacher. We looked and there were feelings in the brain indicating a decrease in serotonin. A significant number of such cases can be treated, but they need to be treated individually. We provide these people with emotion expression training. When the person learns this, they are able to express their emotions verbally rather than through violence."
