Violence and health: the United States in a global perspective

Abstract

Violence is a public health problem that can be understood and changed. Research over the past 2 decades has demonstrated that violence can be prevented and that, in some cases, prevention programs are more cost-effective than other policy options such as incarceration. The United States has much to contribute to-and stands to gain much from-global efforts to prevent violence. A new World Health Organization initiative presents an opportunity for the United States to work with other nations to find cost-effective ways of preventing violence and reducing its enormous costs.

Figure 1

A woman stands amid hundreds of pairs of shoes placed on the steps of the Kentucky state capitol on October 15, 2002, to bring attention to victims of domestic violence. Last year, Kentucky's 17 domestic violence programs sheltered more than 4600 women and children, according to officials. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Figure 2

A sculpture of a gun with a tied-up barrel, symbolizing a gun-free South Africa, is seen at the entrance to the Victoria and Albert waterfront shopping center in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1999. The government unveiled stringent new gun control legislation that year. The law stiffens sentences, obliges gun owners to reregister firearms every five years, and gives police more powers to investigate suspected owners of illegal weapons. (AP Photo/Obed Zilwa)