Sensation Seeking in Street Violence: A Micro-sociological Reassessment

• In Event: 144 - Regular Session. Interpersonal Violence

Abstract

Sensation seeking leads to violence—runs an influential hypothesis in the social scientific study of violent behavior. Although studies confirm that violence is sometimes structured by sensation-seeking motives, the literature seldom comments on the limits to this explanation of violence. The present study examines the scale of violence motivated by sensation seeking and the degree to which there are several distinct forms of sensation seeking motives operative in violence, rather than a sensation-seeking motive in the singular. The study draws on a sample of situations from Copenhagen involving street violence, which are coded quantitatively and qualitatively. Our analysis shows that sensation seeking only seldom seems to play a role in the structuring of street violence. Moreover, the data indicate that sensation seeking finds expression in street violence situations in two different ways: Besides egoistic pleasure in exerting violence against the other, sensation seeking is expressed as social enjoyment in being part of a violent interaction with the other. Implications from these findings, limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Authors

• Marie Bruvik Heinskou, University of Copenhagen

• Lasse Suonperä Liebst, University of Copenhagen