Damage that occurs as an
unintended consequence of an effort to cause intentional damage elsewhere, such as with a military operation, is called
collateral damage, while damage specifically done to public or private property is called
property damage. By extension, damage is also used to describe a degradation in the value of intangible things such as
relationships,
self-image,
reputation, and
goodwill.
Economics of damage The propensity for damage to occur to physical objects and systems, as well as to intangible characteristics, is built into the prices of goods and services that depend on the supply of these things, particularly as a component of
insurance costs. In
law,
damages are the award, typically of
money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury (i.e., economic or physical damage).
Institutional damage Institutional damage is broadly defined as
unintended consequences to an individual resulting from interaction with an institution which has responsibility for his or her care. The individual might be a
hospital patient, a child in a school, or a prison
inmate. Some forms of institutional damage, such as
medical errors and
hospital-acquired infection are relatively easily measured; others, such as long-term damage to development and
mental health are significantly harder to measure. There is controversy as to whether such damage can be measured and if it actually occurs. It is not a widely used term, however, but it is a legal concept of considerable importance, because it is extremely common, particularly in countries where
human rights of prisoners and other people under institutional care are not respected or guaranteed by
law.
Constitutional law,
civil law (common law) and
criminal law codices have many provisions to protect individuals against injuries caused by institutions to which they are unwillingly committed. The extent and the respect to these laws vary widely among countries and communities. These controversies relate to the old
government versus
individual debate which has permeated philosophy and political science since
Ancient Greece.
Damage to institutions The same expression is also used in the opposite sense, i.e., as damage caused to institutions, as opposed to damage caused to individuals. For example,
political exception situations, such as the suspension of
political rights for a time, are said to damage
democratic institutions. Other examples are
vandalism of public buildings, extremely large
epidemics that disrupt normal functioning of society's institutions, such as in the case of
AIDS in
Africa; external military intervention, such as in the invasion of
Iraq by the USA and
allied nations; and even (paradoxically), external aid to countries which are rich in natural resources but have a poor
economy and/or
corrupt government (the so-called "
resource curse") The two concepts, damage caused by institutions and damage caused to institutions, are related in many situations. In widespread political trials ("
witch hunting") in democratic countries, such as in the famous
House Committee on Un-American Activities in the 1940s, damage was said to occur in both directions, i.e., not only the lives, families and professional activities of a number of individuals were wrecked by the public exposure, but also the political institutions of individual rights and freedom in the United States were also similarly damaged by the Committee's activities. ==See also==