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Abstract
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Everywhere in Switzerland, there are people whose lives are permeated by violence. Interpersonal violence is a complex problem, closely interwoven with mind-sets, and individual and social customs, as formed by many different influences in families and communities [1]. Interpersonal violence can be defined as a conscious physical attack, with the intention to cause physical and psychological harm
In comparison to other countries in Europe, Switzerland is fortunate in that only a few people lose their lives to violence each year, but many people suffer physical or psychological harm – or indeed both [2]. Interpersonal violence leads to high costs for a medical system, as many injury patterns require expensive diagnostic workups (e.g., cranial computed tomography) or need to be treated with surgery and require hospitalisation.
Therefore, intensified research on interpersonal violence in Switzerland is important. We must question our own notions about what is acceptable, and abandon the illusory conviction that acts of violence are simply an internal matter between two “unlucky” parties, an individual choice for handling arguments, or an inevitable aspect of daily life in a violent world. In cooperation with a variety of partners, medical research must develop scientifically based and comprehensive measures to work against these forces, which are slowly poisoning our society – as violence is often predictable and more importantly preventable.
We have the research instruments and we have the knowledge we need to translate our research results into practice. We have already used these research instruments thousands of times to solve other medical problems ...
Language: en |