Violence isn't just a random spark. It’s a flame that jumps from one house to the next, often following the exact same paths as a viral outbreak. Honestly, when people say killing is a cycle, they aren't just being poetic or dramatic. They’re describing a measurable, biological, and sociological phenomenon that researchers have been tracking for decades.
It's heavy stuff.
If you look at the work of Dr. Gary Slutkin, an epidemiologist who spent years fighting infectious diseases in Africa, the parallels are kind of terrifying. He realized that the patterns of intentional let-down and lethal violence in Chicago mirrored the spread of cholera or tuberculosis. You have a "host," a "transmission," and a "susceptible population." When one person is killed, the grief, the pressure for retaliation, and the trauma don't just sit there. They move. They infect the next person in line.
The biology of why killing is a cycle
Most people think of "cycles of violence" as a vague social concept. It’s actually physical. When someone experiences or witnesses extreme violence, the brain’s amygdala—the alarm system—goes into permanent overdrive. This isn't just "feeling stressed." It’s a structural shift.
The prefrontal cortex, which handles your decision-making and impulse control, basically goes offline.
If you're a young person growing up in a high-conflict zone, your brain is literally being wired to perceive threats everywhere. This is what psychologists call "hyper-vigilance." In this state, a perceived slight or a "disrespectful" look isn't just a social awkwardness; it's a life-or-death trigger. The cycle continues because the brain is stuck in survival mode, making lethal force feel like the only logical defense.
Trauma as a secondary infection
Think about the "Retaliatory Killing." In many urban environments or even in global conflict zones, the act of killing is framed as a debt. If someone from Group A kills someone from Group B, Group B now owes a "blood debt."
This isn't just about anger. It's about safety.
The logic goes: "If I don't kill the person who killed my brother, I am showing that my family is weak, which makes the rest of us targets." It’s a self-perpetuating loop where the search for safety through violence only creates more danger. Research from the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) shows that revenge is one of the single most consistent predictors of future homicide. It’s the engine of the machine.
What we get wrong about deterrence
We’ve spent billions on the idea that if we make the punishment scary enough, the cycle stops. But that's not really how human psychology works in the heat of a "transmission."
If you're in the middle of a cycle of violence, you aren't thinking about a 20-year prison sentence. You’re thinking about the next 20 minutes.
The "Cure Violence" model—which treats violence like a health epidemic—has shown that interrupting the cycle requires "interrupters," not just police. These are people who have "street cred," often former gang members or people who have been through the system, who step in the moment a killing happens. They talk to the family. They talk to the friends. They physically stand in the way of the retaliation.
It works because it addresses the "infectious" nature of the emotion before it turns back into an action. In cities like Baltimore or even internationally in places like Honduras, this approach has occasionally seen shootings drop by 40% to 70% in specific zones. It's about breaking the transmission.
The generational hand-off
It’s not just about the person holding the weapon today. Killing is a cycle that spans generations. We see this in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) studies. A child who grows up seeing violence is significantly more likely to become either a victim or a perpetrator later.
It’s a hand-off of trauma.
- Exposure to domestic violence
- Losing a parent to homicide
- Living in a neighborhood where gunshots are a nightly lullaby
These aren't just "bad memories." They are the blueprints for how a child learns to interact with the world. Without intervention, that child grows up with a nervous system primed for combat.
The role of "Moral Injury"
There’s a concept often applied to combat veterans called "moral injury." It’s the damage done to a person's conscience or moral compass when they perpetrate, witness, or fail to prevent acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs.
When a society or a subculture reaches a point where killing is normalized, the collective moral injury is massive. It creates a "numbness." When you’re numb, the threshold for the next act of violence lowers. The cycle gets faster. The spinning wheel picks up speed.
Case Studies: When the wheel stopped turning
Look at the "Miracle of Medellín" in Colombia. In the 90s, it was the murder capital of the world. The cycle seemed unbreakable. But they didn't just arrest their way out of it. They invested in "social urbanism." They built world-class libraries and parks in the most violent slums. They connected the poorest neighborhoods to the city center with cable cars.
They broke the cycle by changing the environment that was feeding the "infection." By reducing the isolation and the "survival-only" mindset of the youth, they saw homicide rates plummet by over 80% over two decades.
Then there's the story of the "Peace Walls" in Belfast. While the physical walls still exist, the cycle of the "Troubles" was broken through grueling, decade-long political and social negotiations that prioritized "Restorative Justice" over purely "Retributive Justice."
Actionable steps to interrupt the loop
You can’t just wish a cycle away. It takes specific, often uncomfortably direct actions to stop the momentum. If you’re looking at your own community or even just trying to understand the global news cycle, here is what actually moves the needle.
Prioritize Immediate Interruption
Support organizations that employ "Violence Interrupters." These programs need funding and political cover to work. They are the frontline doctors in this epidemic.
Invest in Trauma-Informed Care
Schools in high-violence areas shouldn't just have metal detectors; they need an abundance of counselors who understand PTSD. If a kid sees a shooting on Sunday, they shouldn't be expected to take a math test on Monday without support.
Change the Narrative of "Honor"
The cycle lives in the idea that "real men" or "strong people" must retaliate. Breaking the cycle requires elevating the status of the peacemaker. This happens through culture—music, movies, and community leaders redefining what strength looks like.
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Focus on "Hot People," not just "Hot Spots"
Criminology often focuses on "hot spots"—bad neighborhoods. But modern data shows it’s often a very small group of people (sometimes less than 1% of the population) who are caught in the "killing is a cycle" loop. Targeted social services for those specific individuals can stop 50% of a city’s violence.
De-escalation Training as a Life Skill
We teach kids how to code and how to play dodgeball, but we rarely teach them how to de-escalate a high-stakes conflict. Emotional regulation is a literal life-saver.
Violence is a feedback loop. It feeds on its own history. But like any loop, it has entry and exit points. By treating it as a public health crisis rather than a moral failing of a "bad" group of people, we can actually start to dismantle the machinery that keeps the deaths mounting. It’s about recognizing the infection before the whole body is lost.