What does "systematic violence" mean?

Animals fight and their instinctive will to survive at all
costs ensures survival of the fittest. It is imperative in ensuring the continuation of
a species. Their lack of compassion and sometimes brutal treatment of each other is not
due to anger or irrational beliefs. Mankind is supposed to be unique and does not have
this requirement to fight to the death in order to survive. Violence, therefore, is a
social construct.  It is destructive in nature and violent behavior is socially
unacceptable. It involves physical exertion and can be an individual or a group against
an object, another person, a group or members of a group. It always has consequences
whether they are physical or emotional.

In Social Sciences,
systematic violence refers to a type of collective action, sometimes prompted by culture
or religion and sometimes by prejudice. Hate crimes, brought on by intolerance, have
marginalized minorities who have a different sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity,
race and so on, from those around them. These groups have been targeted and even driven
out of neighborhoods. Xenophobic violence is one such example when large groups of
people "systematically" drive others out of their community through violent and cruel
treatment.

There are also cultural differences which often
contribute to their own system of systematic violence. What some cultures allow other
cultures find oppressive, demeaning and totally unacceptable, resulting in heinous
crimes such as murder. Honor killings would be one such example of cultural violence
which in the twenty first century certainly falls within the scope of systematic
violence. Within certain communities, honor killings, usually against women, are
considered to be justified and there are therefore no repercussions for the
perpetrators. The violence is planned and carried out in terms of an apparent higher
authority beyond the law, and no consideration is given to the establishment of proof of
wrongdoing or the ends of justice. Perception of having wronged her family is enough
cause for violence, which sometimes ends in
death. 

Systematic violence has existed for hundreds of
years as people have been oppressed and treated violently by the very people and systems
designed to protect them, including governments, making some systematic violence
political. The Mafia is another example of systematic violence. Differences,
misunderstandings and unhealthy competition have ruined many lives through systematic
violence.