first days of June They broke a very dangerous global temperature record by exceeding the 1.5ºC limit set in the Paris Agreement. This is just a preamble to what’s to come very hot summer in the northern hemisphere. For this reason, people are already starting to talk about the consequences of the coming heat wave. Heatstroke, dehydration, burns… But what about sexual assault, robbery, murder, or even dog attacks? All these cases violence they seem to be driven by heat.
In dogs, in a recent study that brings together many others, there was both in humans and other animals. They all lead to very similar conclusions: heat induces violence, but why?
The truth is that this is still unclear, despite the wide range of studies on this subject that we can find in the scientific literature. However, there are several hypotheses, two of which currently carry the most weight. One suggests that as the temperature rises discomfort, frustration and impulsivity, they are all perfect sparks to ignite the fire of violence. In fact, it has been observed that traffic accidents also increase with heat, possibly due to the same impulsiveness. On the other hand, another hypothesis indicates that in the heat we spend more time working. lessons on the street, we interact more with other people, and this can increase the likelihood of quarrels. It is not clear which option is correct, because perhaps a mixture of both.
Examples of violence that escalated with the heat
There are many studies pointing to increase in heat-driven violence. In fact, already at the end of the 19th century. first reliable crime statisticsit was found that crimes against people were more common in summer.
Also they uprisings the uprisings of the people against the government, so common in the past, usually took place at this time of the year, regardless of the hemisphere. For example, most of the uprisings that took place in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries took place in July, while in South America they were much more frequent in January. Always early summer.
These are all historical data, but in recent years a strong link between heat and violence has also been found. For example, a 2019 study found many more cases of organized crime in Mexico. during hot periods. In the United Kingdom, it has been observed that there is a 14% increase in violent crime. at 20ºC than at 10ºC. And a US study found that for every 5°C rise in average daily temperature between 2007 and 2017, there was the number of crimes on sexual grounds increased by 4-5%.
Also in Spain studies of this type have been carried out. For example, one was published in 2018, indicating an increase in reports of incidents of gender-based violence during heat waves this happened between January 2008 and September 2016.
Also in animals
The increase in violence, coinciding with the heat, can be seen as something purely social. In this case, it would be much more common among people. However, animal studies have also been conducted. with similar results.
For example, in 2013 a study was published indicating an increase rat aggressiveness matched the heat. What is interesting about this study is that it was shown that aggression was not caused by various heat-related stimuli, since the stimulus that caused the rodents to become angry was in all cases small electric shock.
This was done at three different temperatures: 40ºF, 70ºF and 100ºF. Or what is the same 4.4°C, 21.1°C and 37.78°C. The hotter the heat, the more furious the reaction of the rats was, especially at the last almost 40ºC.
It has also recently been observed that cases of dog attacks on humans increase with heat and even with air pollution. The latter is an interesting fact that has also been observed in rhesus monkeys, although the reasons for this are not clear.
Humans also attack animals more
We have seen more dogs attack when it is very hot. But it also happens Against. Since human violence increases with temperature, it has been observed that cases of animal abuse are much more likely to occur during heatwaves and generally when temperatures rise.
What hypothesis do we have?
It is not clear which of the two hypotheses mentioned above best explains this phenomenon. Perhaps it is a mixture of both. It is clear that the heat spoils the mood for all of us. It would not be strange that this is a bad mood, in people prone to aggressionwill lead to violence.
The same study that showed that crimes against the person were more numerous in the 19th century also indicated that burglaries There were more in winter. All this is consistent with this hypothesis.
In addition, a study was published in 1987 showing that it is not crime that increases with heat. He compared the distribution of violent crime cases with non-violent crimes such as car theft. It was seen that only crimes accompanied by violence increased with the heat, so both hypotheses would be supported.
The Spanish study is also consistent with the second hypothesis. And it lies in the fact that, although in the heat we spend more time on the street, when it is very hot, we take our bad mood home. For this reason, violent people will spend more time with their partners, and the number of cases of violence may increase. gender violence.
Will violence increase with climate change?
With all this in mind, it is unsettling to think about what will happen with climate change. Temperature they are already breaking records and heatwaves will become more frequent. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures also with the expectation of a possible increase in violent attacks.
In fact, according to a study published in 2014, only in the United States could climate change increase 22,000 murders, 1–2 million aggravated assaults, and 2–3 million simple assaults.compared to 2010.
It’s the heat effect that we can’t stop thinking about, but it’s pretty serious. Sometimes when we watch the news, it seems to us that the world is going crazy and we don’t know why. Perhaps we should start thinking about the heat as one of the reasons.
Source: Hiper Textual
