The situational character of prison violence: An exploratory qualitative study

Given the detrimental effects of prison violence, understanding why and how incidents occur is necessary. This explorative qualitative research on prison violence investigates potentially violent situations between incarcerated men. Through in-depth interviews with 22 incarcerated men from 3 Dutch prisons and 2 formerly incarcerated men, we offer insight into the situational circumstances of prison violence. The findings reveal three distinct categories of situations where violence can occur: when incarcerated individuals perceive threats to their (1) status, (2) safety and (3) shared interests (or goals). Status pertains to perceived symbolic threats to reputation, safety involves perceived risk of physical and psychological harm, and shared interests relate to perceived threats to collective resources, privileges and values. This study underscores the significance of considering situational circumstances and the interpretation of situations by incarcerated individuals when seeking to understand or explain prison violence.