Definition:
State violence is the use or threat of physical force, coercion, or harm by state actors to enforce laws, maintain order, or suppress dissent.
Usage Context:
Seen in policing, military action, border enforcement, prisons, protest control, and colonial or imperial governance.
Critical Note:
State violence is often framed as lawful or necessary force. This framing obscures how legitimacy can mask harm, particularly when violence is unevenly applied to marginalised or targeted groups.
Related Terms:
Authoritarian Governance, Administrative Violence, Policing, Civil Liberties Erosion, Punitive Neutrality