Alcadipani, R., Lotta, G. and Cohen, N.

Natural born violence? Understanding street-level bureaucrats' use of violence: police officers and protests - Public Administration Review - 84(1), Jan-Feb, 2024: p.100-114

What factors influence street-level bureaucrats' (SLBs) use of violence? To answer this question, we focus on police officers, a typical example of SLBs, who can lawfully use violence whenever they deem it necessary. Based on ethnographic work among Brazilian police officers dealing with protests, we analyze how violence erupts in the interaction between police officers and protesters. We contribute to the literature by suggesting that no single factor alone can explain the actions of SLBs regarding the use of violence, as previous research has posited. We demonstrate how the interplay between four factors explains the use of violence by SLBs: (1) institutional logic, (2) type of situation, (3) desire for revenge and having fun, and (4) lack of accountability. As such, we propose a more complex account of SLB's use of violence.- Reproduced
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/puar.13670



Street-level bureaucrats (SLBs), Use of violence, Police officers, Lawful violence, Ethnographic research, Brazilian police, Protest interactions, Violence eruption, Institutional logic, Situational factors, Revenge and enjoyment, Lack of accountability, Complex analysis, Literature contribution.