The Culture of Violence Index 2025

The legal Acceptance of Violence in the Countries of the World. 

By Franz Jedlicka (you can find the PDF version on Researchgate.net and on Franz Jedlicka's blog), and a Video on our Youtube Channel)

(does not show countries with 1 to 3 points on the Culture of Violence Scale)

Items:

Ca –Capital punishment legal (two points)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_by_country .
 
VAC – (Violence against Children - Corporal punishment of children 

legal): http://endcorporalpunishment.org/wp-content/uploads/

legality-tables/Global-progress-table-commitment.pdf .

VACS – Corporal punishment of children in other care settings legal 

(same table as VAC)

Cj –	Judicial corporal punishment legal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_corporal_punishment#Full_list_

of_countries .

TO – Torture (states that have not signed or not ratified the UN Convention

Against Torture) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_

Against_Torture .

MR	Marital rape legal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marital_rape_laws_by_country .

VAW	no laws addressing domestic violence against women
https://genderdata.worldbank.org/indicators/sg-leg-dvaw/ .

LGBTIQ+ (Violence against LGBTIQ+ persons legal)

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rights_by_country_or_territory 


RANKING 2025

Points Country			Items (Ca counts 2 points)


9	Iran					Ca Cj LGBTIQ+ MR TO VAC VACS VAW

9	Tanzania				Ca Cj TO MR VAC VACS VAW LGBTIQ+



8	Afghanistan:			Ca Cj MR VAC VACS VAW LGBTIQ+

8	Brunei Darussalam		Ca Cj LGBTIQ+ MR TO VAC VACS

8	Yemen				Ca Cj VAW MR LGBTIQ+ VAC VACS




7	Cameroon			Ca MR VAC VACS VAW LGBTIQ+

7	Eritrea				Ca MR VAC VACS VAW LGBTIQ+

7	Libya				Ca VAW MR VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

7	Malaysia				Ca Cj TO VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

7	Maldives				Ca Cj MR VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

7 	Mauritania 			Ca Cj VAW LGBTIQ+ VAC VACS

7	Nigeria				Ca Cj MR LGBTIQ+ VAC VACS

7	Qatar				Ca Cj VAW VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

7	Saudi Arabia			Ca Cj MR LGBTIQ+ VAC VACS

7	Somalia				Ca Cj VAW VAC VACS LGBTIQ+



6	Algeria				Ca MR VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

6	Antigua & Barbuda		Ca Cj MR VAC VACS

6	Botswana			Ca Cj MR VAC VACS

6	DR Congo			Ca MR VAC VACS VAW

6	India				Ca MR TO VAC VACS

6	Indonesia			Ca Cj MR VAC VACS

6	Iraq					Ca VAW MR VAC VACS

6	Jamaica				Ca MR VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

6	Malawi				Ca MR VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

6	Morocco				Ca MR VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

6	Myanmar				Ca VAW MR VAC VACS

6	Oman				Ca VAW MR VAC VACS

6	Palestine (West Bank & Gaza)	Ca MR VAW VAC VACS

6	Sudan				Ca VAW VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

6	Syria				Ca VAW MR VAC VACS

6	Uganda				Ca MR LGBTIQ+ VAC VACS

6	United Arab Emirates	Ca Cj MR VAC VACS





5	Bahamas				Ca Cj MR VAC VACS

5	Bahrain				Ca MR VAC VACS

5	Bangladesh			Ca MR VAC VACS

5	Barbados				Ca Cj VAC VACS

5	China				Ca MR VAC VACS

5	Dominica				Ca Cj VAC VACS

5	Egypt				Ca MR VAC VACS

5	Ethiopia				Ca MR VAC VACS

5	Gambia				Ca VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

5	Jordan				Ca MR VAC VACS

5	Lesotho				Ca Cj VAC VACS

5	Mali					Ca VAW VAC VACS

5	Niger				Ca VAW VAC VACS

5	North Korea			Ca MR VAC VACS

5	Pakistan				Ca Cj VAC VACS

5	Russia				Ca VAW VAC VACS

5	St. Lucia				Ca VAC VACS MR

5	Singapore			Ca Cj VAC VACS

5	Sri Lanka				Ca MR VAC VACS

5	St.Kitts & Nevis		Ca Cj VAC VACS

5	Tonga				Ca Cj VAC VACS

5	Zimbabwe			Ca TO VAC VACS



4	Belarus				Ca VAC VACS

4	Belize				Ca VAC VACS

4	Burkina Faso			Ca VAC VACS

4	Equatorial Guinea		MR VAC VACS VAW

4	Grenada				Ca VAC VACS

4	Guatemala			Ca VAC VACS

4	Guayana				Ca VAC VACS

4	Haiti					TO MR VAC VAW

4	Kuwait				Ca VAC VACS

4	Lebanon				Ca VAC VACS

4	Liberia				Ca VAC VACS

4	St. Vincent & Grenadines	Ca VAC VACS

4	South Sudan			Ca VAW MR

4	Taiwan				Ca VAC VACS

4	Trinidad & Tobago		Ca Cj VAC

4	Tuvalu				Cj MR VAC VACS

4	United States			Ca VAC VACS

4	Vietnam				Ca VAC VACS



3	Bhutan				TO VAC VACS

3	Central African Republic		MR VAC VACS

3	Chad				MR VAC VACS

3	Cuba				Ca VACS

3	Djibouti				MR VAC VACS

3	Ecuador				Cj VAC VACS

3	Eswatini				Cj VAC VACS

3	Fiji					MR VAC VACS

3	Ghana				VAC VACS LGBTIQ+

3	Madagascar			MR VAC VACS

3	Palau				TO VAC VACS

3	Papua New Guinea		TO VAC VACS

3	Sierra Leone			Cj VAC VACS

3	Tajikistan				Ca MR

3	Tunisia				Ca LGBTIQ+

3	Western Sahara		TO VAC VACS



2	Angola				VAC VACS

2	Armenia				VAC VACS

2	Australia				VAC VACS

2	Azerbaijan			VAC VACS

2	Belgium				VAC VACS

2	Bosnia & Herzegovina	VAC VACS

2	Burundi				VAC VACS

2	Cambodia			VAC VACS

2	Canada				VAC VACS

2	Chile				VAC VACS

2	Comoros				VAC VACS

2	Cook Islands			VAC VACS

2	Cote d’Ivoire			VAC VACS

2	Czech Republic		VAC VACS

2	Dominican Republic	VAC VACS

2	DPR Korea			VAC VACS

2	El Salvador			VAC VACS

2	Gabon				VAC VACS

2	Guinea				MR VAW

2	Guinea Bissau			VAC VACS

2	Guyana				VAC VACS

2	Japan				Ca

2	Kazakhstan			VAC VACS

2	Kenya				Ca

2	Kiribati				VAC VACS

2	Kyrgyzstan			VAC VACS

2	Laos (PDR Lao)		Ca

2	Marshall Island		VAC VACS

2	Mexico				VAC VACS

2	Micronesia			VAC VACS

2	Monaco				VAC VACS

2	Mozambique			VAC VACS

2	Namibia				VAC VACS

2	Nauru				VAC VACS

2	Niue					VAC VACS

2	Panama				VAC VACS

2	Rwanda				VAC VACS

2	Samoa				VAC VACS

2	Sao Tome & Principe	VAC VACS

2	Senegal				VAC VACS

2	Serbia				VAC VACS

2	Solomon Islands		VAC VACS

2	South Korea			Ca

2	Suriname				VAC VACS

2	Switzerland			VAC VACS

2	Thailand				Ca

2	Timor Leste			VAC VACS

2	Turkey				VAC VACS

2	UK					VAC VACS

2	Uzbekistan			VAC VACS

2	Vanuatu				VAC VACS


1	Congo				MR

1	Estonia				VAW

1	Italy					VAC

1	Philippines			VAC

1	Slovakia				VAC

Franz Jedlicka speaks about his peace research at a meeting of the NGO Committee on Peace, Vienna in Vienna's UN Building

 Video available:

Also on the server of the University of Vienna >

和平政策、女权主义与儿童保护：三个共通的议题

 本文作者：弗兰兹·杰德利卡（Franz Jedlicka ). 已自动翻译。如有错误，敬请谅解。

个人即政治。这是女权主义的一项重要原则。它描述了以男性为主导的家庭结构对社会政治中盛行的父权制的影响。

但上述女权主义原则也适用于一个国家儿童的养育方式。在体罚盛行的地方，暴力的接受度更高。即使是年幼的孩子也能亲身体验到用暴力解决冲突是可以接受的。这种情况在尚未禁止体罚的国家更为常见，目前这些国家约占全球国家的三分之二：不幸的是，这一事实鲜为人知。

如果这样的孩子是男孩，那么如果他与妻子发生争执，日后在家中实施家庭暴力的风险就会增加。他之所以这样做，是因为他从未接受过任何不同的教育：他亲眼目睹、听到并亲身经历过。

这种联系也应该引起女权主义者的兴趣。尤其是在她们生活的国家，体罚育儿尚未被禁止的情况下。她们应该探讨以下问题：我们致力于打击家庭暴力，但下一代男孩长大后，是否会再次实施家庭暴力？或者，如果我们自己打孩子，或者容忍父亲打孩子，我们是否会培养出下一代反女权主义者？

总而言之，这关乎一个更大的问题：如果不禁止针对儿童的暴力，一个国家能否实现持久和平？如果世界上三分之二的国家仍然允许打孩子，世界和平还能实现吗？

儿童保护不仅仅是一个心理问题，而是一个政治问题。它也应该成为和平运动和女权主义的焦点。

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本文也可在其他媒体发表。但不得修改，且必须注明作者。

(Licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ )

Политика мира, феминизм и защита детей: три вопроса, которые должны быть вместе

Текст исследователя мира Франца Едлички (Franz Jedlicka), который был переведен автоматически. Пожалуйста, извините за любые ошибки.

Личное — это политическое. Это важный принцип феминизма. Он описывает влияние семейной структуры, характеризующейся мужским доминированием, на патриархат, который преобладает в политике общества.

Но вышеупомянутый феминистский принцип также применим к тому, как воспитываются дети в стране. Везде, где широко распространены телесные наказания, существует более высокая приемлемость насилия. Даже маленькие дети на собственном опыте убеждаются в том, что разрешать конфликты с помощью насилия приемлемо. Это чаще происходит в странах, где телесные наказания еще не запрещены, и в настоящее время это около двух третей стран мира: факт, который, к сожалению, слишком малоизвестен.

Если такой ребенок — мальчик, увеличивается риск того, что он позже совершит домашнее насилие в своей семье, если поссорится с женой. Он делает это, потому что его не учили по-другому: он видел, слышал и испытал это на себе.

Эта связь также должна заинтересовать феминисток. Особенно, если они живут в стране, где телесные наказания в воспитании детей еще не запрещены. Там следует обсудить следующие вопросы: может ли быть так, что, пока мы стремимся бороться с домашним насилием, вырастает следующее поколение мальчиков, которые снова будут совершать домашнее насилие? Или вопрос: воспитываем ли мы следующих антифеминистов, если либо сами будем бить своих детей, либо будем мириться с тем, что это делают отцы?

В целом, речь идет о еще более важном вопросе: может ли страна достичь прочного мира, если насилие в отношении детей не запрещено? Может ли быть мир во всем мире, если бить детей по-прежнему разрешено в двух третях стран мира?

Защита детей — это не просто психологический вопрос. Это политический вопрос. И он также должен быть в центре внимания движения за мир и феминизма.

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Данный текст также может быть опубликован на других носителях. Однако его нельзя изменять, и необходимо указать автора. (Licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ )

What is the Legislation-Peace Nexus?

 .. read more in this article.

The Competition between Religious and Secular Countries

Comparing global data regarding peacefulness, happiness, honesty and social progress

by Franz Jedlicka

   In the twenty-first century, we have global data on almost every aspect of human life. For example, we can find out quite easily - usually by doing a quick search on the Internet - what the average income is in this or that country, what the population density or what the level of literacy is.

   Thanks to these many international statistics, it is now easier to compare religious countries with secular countries. People from religious countries often express criticism of those who describe themselves as non-believers. In some religious groups there is even hatred of the "unbelievers".

   But is this critical view of secular countries and non-believers justified? Or, to put it another way: Do religions, especially when propagated by religious politicians, fulfill the typical promises that religions make : that the country will be more peaceful, that life will be better through religiosity, that religious people will be more honest and, ultimately, that religious people will be happier?

   It cannot be overlooked that there are also large migration movements from more religious countries to secular countries, which can probably be explained by the fact that these migrants think life there is better.

   I would like to invite both religious and non-religious people to look at some global data that can provide answers to four questions:

• Firstly: are religious countries really more peaceful ? Is everyday life really less violent ? (Victoria Rationi has already asked this question in her publications)
• Secondly, are people in religious countries more honest ?
• Third: Is there a positive development in living conditions in religious countries? (Is life getting better ?)
• Fourth: Are people in religious countries happier ?

   I am not initiating this discussion because I want to criticise religious people, but because, as a peace researcher, I regularly see with concern and also sadness data on various forms of violence in countries around the world, which are often higher in religious countries than in secular countries.

   Peacefulness.  The most important international index of the peacefulness of countries in the world is the Global Peace Index , which is published on the Internet every year by the Institute for Economics and Peace. When it comes to researching the causes of wars, historical and political developments in the regions concerned are of course cited, as a kind of justification: here one party "had to" take up arms. However, I think that for people who belong to a religion that describes itself as peaceful, the principle of non-violence must also apply to national and international conflicts: these people will try everything to resolve a conflict through negotiations, non-violent resistance, embargoes... but not with bombs, tanks and guns.

   Non-violence (the rejection of violence within a country). Those who have read my previous articles will know that I see the causes of wars in a "culture of violence" that prevails in some countries of the world and is reflected in the fact that many forms of violence are not actually prohibited by law. You can also look up this information yourself on the Internet, and many religious people may be surprised that the prohibition of all forms of violence exists primarily in secular countries:

• Is child corporal punishment still allowed in child rearing (or even in the penal system and when imprisoning children)? Data: Wikipedia , endcorporalpunishment.org .
• Is domestic violence against women and marital rape still allowed? Data: World Bank , Wikipedia, Women, Peace and Security Index
• Is the death penalty still practiced? Data: Wikipedia
• Is torture still allowed? Data: Wikipedia
• Is violence against homosexuals / LGBTIQ+ people allowed? Data: Wikipedia
• Is corporal punishment allowed in prison ? Data: Wikipedia

   As a peace researcher, I believe that the world can only become peaceful in the long term if all forms of violence are banned worldwide, especially violence in child-rearing, because a violence-free childhood is the psychological foundation of peaceful societies. I call this strategy "peace mainstreaming."

   Honesty. Are people in religious countries more honest? The Corruption Perceptions Index provides an answer to this question .

   Social progress. A very comprehensive index for this is the Social Progress Index . It includes data on the quality of the health system, education, drinking water and so on. So it is not about economic progress, but about improving the quality of life.

   Happiness / satisfaction . Are people happier in religious countries? Every year, the World Happiness Report is published based on worldwide surveys . It provides an impression of life satisfaction in countries around the world.

   The statistics mentioned above could therefore provide an answer - or at least trends - in four important areas of life that can be used to compare religious countries with secular countries. Anyone who has looked at these statistics (which will certainly change in the coming years - perhaps new statistics will be added) can find an answer to the question posed at the beginning:

   Who is ahead in the race between the secular world and the religious countries on the issues of peacefulness and non-violence, honesty, social progress and happiness?

   Finally, I would like to emphasize once again that this article is written from my perspective as a peace researcher and as an activist for a violence-free childhood (SDG 16.2) and the protection of women from domestic violence ( ISDG 5.2 - I am a supporter of the White Ribbon Campaign ). It is very sad and frightening for me to see that violence against children and women is often higher in religious countries than in secular countries, but of course all the other forms of violence that I mentioned in my "Culture of Violence Scale" are also terrible.

   This article is primarily intended to stimulate discussion: between religious people (including those of different religions), between religious and non-religious people, and between religious people and their religious leaders. For all those religious people who wonder whether there is a positive non-religious school of thought, I would like to point out humanism, which advocates rationality and reason. Because regardless of religious commandments, it is simply sensible to live non-violently because it avoids human suffering. And it shows a lack of empathy to allow violence when you see that people are suffering as a result.

   And for those who didn't know: some universities already have a department of secularism research : you can find it on the Internet under the search term "Secular Studies". In the books by Phil Zuckerman, Ryan T. Cragun, Isabella Kasselstrand (among others) you can read about what life is like in secular societies. I think there should also be such faculties in the German-speaking countries.

This article was published under the following Creative Commons license: CC BY-ND 4.0, which means that it may be published in other publications and on other websites without asking the author, provided it is not modified and the source is indicated.

Culture of Violence Scale

The Culture of Violence Scale is a tool for estimating the acceptance of violence within societies. 

According to our research - and based on the theories of Johan Galtung - wars in the 21st century are only started by countries / societies where violence is accepted in other societal areas as well: In the upbringing of children (corporal punishment), in the treatment of women (domestic violence), the acceptance of capital punishment (the death penalty),  to name a few factors.

You can find it on Researchgate and on LinkedIn (free downloads)

A good article about our work ..

    .. was published on PRESSENZA.com in May 2023.

   Your can read it >> HERE

   

What is peace mainstreaming?

 Peace researcher Franz Jedlicka sometimes uses the term "Peace Mainstreaming" to explain which aspects must be taken into account to build or foster sustainable peace . or: to build a "culture of peace":

• a legal ban of child corporal punishment
• outlawing judicial corporal punishment
• outlawing the death penalty (capital punishment)
• a legal ban of domestic violence against women
• measures for gender equality
• outlawing discrimination of LGBTIQ+ persons
• reducing violence in the media

And, most likely: secularization.