Geography and development:Violence and crime as development issues

Violence and crime are not new phenomena in the field of development theory and practice. Since the nineteenth century there has been an assumed link between violence, crime and societal development (Rogers, 1989). In the 1990s, however, the issue of violence has taken on particular significance. This is partly because of the perceived concentration of crime and violence in the countries of the South. For instance, Africa is currently viewed as the most violent continent on the basis of crime victimization rates, and is followed by Latin America (UNICRI, 1995; see also UNCHS, 1996). In terms of specific countries, Colombia and South Africa stand out as two of the most violent societies in the world (Tickner, 1998; Louw, 1997). Moreover, although not a core concern, the recent UK Department for International Development's White Paper identified violence as an important development issue in relation to gender and poverty reduction (Beall, 1998; White, 1998). Interest in violence has also been an important scholarly concern within development studies. Indeed, a number of recent texts, especially those considering urban development in the South, deal with the issue of violence and insecurity. Jose