Psychology of Violence, Vol 15(6), Nov 2025, 645-650; doi:10.1037/vio0000657
Objective: While much of the research on the climate crisis has focused on material risks (such as infrastructure damage), more work is now focused on psychological outcomes that are associated with a rapidly warming climate. One such area of study has been on the relationship between the climate crisis and violence, with researchers modeling and demonstrating how global warming increases the number of people exposed to risk factors known for violence at both an interpersonal and group level. The aim of this special section is to highlight some of the cutting-edge research being conducted on this dynamic, to help inform scholars, practitioners, and policymakers about the risks for violence that are a result of climate change, and to start to imagine policies and strategies to mitigate that risk. Method: In this short introductory piece, we will highlight how these selected studies fit into the broader understanding of the risk of violence associated with rapid global warming. Results: The papers in this special section highlight a range of methods and conclusions from this vital area of psychological inquiry. Conclusions: Rapid global warming is the most prominent existential threat facing our current global society, particuarlarily as it influences increases in potential violence and conflict. This unprecedented global section also presents innumerable challenges in truly understanding the depth of impact it is causing and the amount of change necessary to alleviate the risks that it poses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)