Interpersonal violence

Abstract

Interpersonal violence is unfortunately part of the social landscape for many American children. Physicians who care for children and adolescents may find it challenging to incorporate techniques to "screen and intervene" for violence. In order to guide these youth toward safety, the clinician must recognize the scope of the problem, understand the risk factors for violent injury, apply this knowledge to clinical practice, and either refer clients to or implement interventions on behalf of these youth. Unfortunately, despite an overall decrease in firearm mortality in the past few years, the prevalence and severity this problem in American adolescents remain high. Recent studies have further elucidated the demographic, behavioral, environmental, and psychosocial factors that may identify the high-risk patient. Other important work has concentrated on applying these risk factors in clinical settings. In addition, small but significant steps have been made toward educating physicians about their role in violence prevention. Finally, we have begun to scientifically evaluate interventions designed to keep youth from becoming part of a very grim statistic. This review focuses on the most recent advances that have been made toward addressing violence as a public health concern.