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Abstract
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The current epidemic of violence in America threatens not only our physical health but also the integrity of basic social institutions such as the family, the communities in which we live, and our health care system. Public health brings a new vision of how Americans can work together to prevent violence. This new vision places emphasis on preventing violence before it occurs, making science integral to identifying effective policies and programs, and integrating the efforts of diverse scientific disciplines, organizations, and communities. A sustained effort at all levels of society will be required to successfully address this complex and deeply rooted problem.Violence is a major contribution to premature death, disability, and injury. In America, there is an epidemic of violence, which threatens not only the physical health, but also the integrity of basic social institutions such as the family, the communities, and the health care system of the public. In this paper, the new vision for violence prevention embodied in the public health approach is discussed. It shifts the focus of the society in the way violence is addressed, from reacting to the problem to changing the social, behavioral, and environmental factors that cause violence. The emphasis is on preventing violence before it occurs, making science integral in identifying effective policies and programs, and integrating the efforts of diverse scientific disciplines, organizations, and communities. A sustained and coordinated effort to prevent violence will be necessary at all levels of society to address this complex and deeply rooted problem.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this article by Mercy et al. was to discuss public health's objective toward violence prevention.
METHODOLOGY:
A nonexperimental discussion of violence prevention from a public health perspective was presented.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The authors first discussed the violence problem and its impact on the public's health. They argued that violence in the U.S. has increased in severity and frequency. They stated that on an average day sixty-five people die from interpersonal violence and more than 6,000 people are physically injured by it. The annual financial costs of interpersonal violence were estimated at 34 billion dollars. The impact of interpersonal violence was noted to disproportionately affect young men, women, children, and the poor. Youth were cited as the main perpetrators of violence and were noted to run a high risk of death or injury from violence. The age of both violent offenders and victims was also suggested to be growing younger in recent years. Similarly, women were also noted to be frequent targets of physical and sexual assault by partners and acquaintances. It was cited that 5,328 women died as a result of homicide in 1990. Estimates for children dying from abuse and neglect in the US in 1988 ranged from 1,016 to 2,026. The poor have also been subject to similar risks. The authors noted that homicide victimization rates have consistently been the highest where poverty has been most prevalent.
Secondly, the authors discussed public health's contributions to violence prevention which addressed deficits in our society's current response to the problem. The public health approach focuses on prevention as opposed to incapacitation, and deterrence. Prevention efforts focus on three strategies: changing individual knowledge, skills, or attitudes; changing the social environment; and changing the physical environment. The approach also aims to address the role of social and economic deprivation in causing violence. In addition, public health provides a multidisciplinary scientific approach which has been directed toward identifying effective approaches to prevention. The approach included defining the problem, identifying the risk factors and causes, developing and evaluating interventions, and implementing programs.
Third, the article addressed priorities for public health analysis and action. The priorities include: (1) preventing injuries from firearms, (2) interrupting the "cycle of violence", (3) developing and evaluating community approaches to violence prevention, and (4) changing public attitudes and beliefs toward violence.
Lastly, the article included six public health principles which were aimed to serve as guidance for the development of national policy to prevent violence. The first principle argued that in order to make measurable progress in lessening violence a commitment to invest in prevention would be necessary. The second principle suggested that the root causes of violence (eg. poverty, joblessness, and racism) needed to be addressed in order to prevent violence. The third principle advocated an "adopt and learn-as-we-go approach" (p.24) to violence prevention which emphasized the evaluation of violence interventions, policies, and programs. The fourth principle called for a coordinated action toward prevention from federal departments, state agencies, foundations, and organizations. The fifth principle stressed the importance of early intervention as a effective means to violence prevention. The last principle advocated the importance of working with the communities in preventing violence which would imply an understanding of what the community felt would be the best approach to prevention based on the resources and needs of the area.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
Public Health Approach
Policy
Violence Prevention
Adult Violence
Juvenile Violence
Adult Offender
Juvenile Offender
Juvenile Victim
Child Victim
Male Offender
Male Victim
Male Violence
Female Victim
Adult Victim
Domestic Homicide
Domestic Violence Causes
Domestic Violence Risk Factors
Domestic Violence
Victim
Domestic Violence Prevention
Homicide Prevention
Homicide Victim
Homicide Causes
Homicide Risk Factors
Child Abuse Causes
Child Abuse Prevention
Child Abuse Risk Factors
Child Abuse Victim
Violence Causes
Violence Risk Factors
Social Organization
Sociocultural Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
Environmental Factors
Racism
Firearms Violence
Poverty
Prevention Recommendations
Public Awareness
Violence Against Women |