As a matter of fact, in many cases the aggressor is not thoroughly aware that he or she is exercising violence. Finally, we find a reference to the illegal nature of many violent actions. So much for the definitions. It is not easy to explain how an idea that at first seems unlikely and then obvious sprouts from mind. Perhaps it was a mixture of common sense and good luck which led to such a novel name for an ancient problem in 1996, while programming an international meeting on noise which would turn into the First International Multidisciplinary Conference on Acoustic Violence, held in Rosario, Argentina, in October, 1997.
Violent behavior has a double meaning in zoology.
First, it is used as a means to get sustenance and, second, to express power. Predators must resort to violence in order to get food, and dominance is an essential part of success that is ensured by displaying force. Roars, bellows and howls are examples of acoustic violence in Nature used to exhibit strength in order to intimidate, subdue and then seize the prey. Interestingly, Nature offers few examples of actual injury due solely to sound. The biological role of acoustic waves is seemingly restricted to conveying different kinds of information.