NCJ Number
213387
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: March-April 2006 Pages: 112-119
Date Published
March 2006
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the public health approach to the prevention of violence and describes the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a pubic health approach to violence prevention and control.
Abstract
A public health approach to violence prevention would benefit society by unifying many disciplines and grounding prevention policies and programs firmly in science. By unifying disciplines such as medicine, behavioral science, social work, criminology, criminal justice, health economics, and others, public health agencies can help develop prevention responses that are efficient, effective, and complementary. A public health approach also ensures victims receive proper medical and psychological assistance and brings a longstanding commitment to supporting communities as the central entity for solving public health problems. The Nation’s chief public health agency, the CDC, is in a unique position to facilitate a public health approach to violence prevention through its ability to clearly define various forms of violence as public health problems similar to AIDS or obesity. The CDC’s violence prevention agenda and research funding priorities are outlined, and include a focus on youth violence, suicide, sexual violence, and child maltreatment. The CDC is also in a unique position to communicate vital information to the American public. Through the CDC’s efforts to create a public health approach to violence prevention, our Nation will begin to address the behavioral and environmental risk factors that contribute to violence. References