Systemic violence, as conceptualized by Vanessa Andreotti, refers to the pervasive and often invisible forms of harm and oppression entrenched within the structures and norms of society that perpetuate inequality and injustice. This type of violence is not necessarily physical but is embedded in the economic, political, social, and cultural systems that maintain the status quo of dominance and marginalization. It operates through mechanisms like institutional racism, economic exploitation, and political disenfranchisement, which systematically disadvantage and dehumanize certain groups while privileging others. Systemic violence is sustained through everyday practices, policies, and ideologies that appear natural or inevitable, thus making it challenging to recognize, confront, and dismantle.

See also: white supremacy, power relation, global south, global change