Examining the Meaning of "Violence" Through Machine Learning Techniques.

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the meaning of violence in contemporary Western societies. Scholars have argued that in contemporary Western societies, the concept is expanding toward a broader understanding of violence, beyond its "traditional" usage in the context of crime and war. The current paper aims to generate empirical evidence that speaks to this question. We take the Netherlands as a case study and apply machine learning techniques to discourse on violence in 80,000 articles published in national newspapers between 2012 and 2021. Results show that the public discourse on violence in the Netherlands has a component that can be described as the familiar or "traditional" usage of the term violence-referring to violent political conflicts, or interpersonal violence such as child abuse. Beyond t

SUBMITTER: van Breen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12504789 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature