Emergent Public Health Issue: Effects of Violence

Violence is defined by the World Health Organization as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against another person or against a group or community that results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.” Violence takes many forms, including child maltreatment, youth violence, suicide, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and elder abuse. Many of these behaviors occur in person, but violence can also be perpetrated through various forms of electronic media, such as cell phones, e-mail, and the Internet. There is no single cause of violence. Violence is the result of the complex interplay of individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors. These factors include but are not limited to exposure to violence ...