Abstract:
This report examines the types of violence that are present worldwide, in the everyday lives of people, and
that constitute the bulk of the health burden imposed by violence. Accordingly, the information has been
arranged in nine chapters, covering the following topics:
1. Violence – a global public health problem
2. Youth violence
3. Child abuse and neglect by parents and other caregivers
4. Violence by intimate partners 5. Abuse of the elderly
6. Sexual violence
7. Self-directed violence
8. Collective violence
9. The way forward: recommendations for action;
Because it is impossible to cover all types of violence fully and adequately in a single document, each
chapter has a specific focus. For example, the chapter on youth violence examines interpersonal violence
among adolescents and young adults in the community. The chapter on child abuse discusses physical,
sexual and psychological abuse, as well as neglect by parents and other caregivers; other forms of
maltreatment of children, such as child prostitution and the use of children as soldiers, are covered in other
parts of the report. The chapter on abuse of the elderly focuses on abuse by caregivers in domestic and
institutional settings, while that on collective violence discusses violent conflict. The chapters on intimate
partner violence and sexual violence focus primarily on violence against women, though some discussion of
violence directed at men and boys is included in the chapter on sexual violence. The chapter on self-directed
violence focuses primarily on suicidal behaviour. The chapter is included in the report because suicidal
behaviour is one of the external causes of injury and is often the product of many of the same underlying
social, psychological and environmental factors as other types of violence.
The chapters follow a similar structure. Each begins with a brief discussion of definitions for the specific
type of violence covered in the chapter, followed by a summary of current knowledge about the extent of the
problem in different regions of the world. Where possible, country-level data are presented, as well as
findings from a range of research studies. The chapters then describe the causes and consequences of
violence, provide summaries of the interventions and policy responses that have been tried, and make
recommendations for future research and action. Tables, figures and boxes are included to highlight specific
epidemiological patterns and findings, illustrate examples of prevention activities, and draw attention to
specific issues.
The report concludes with two additional sections: a statistical annex and a list of Internet resources. The
statistical annex contains global, regional and country data derived from the WHO mortality and morbidity
database and from Version 1 of the WHO Global Burden of Disease project for 2000. A description of data
sources and methods is provided in the annex to explain how these data were collected and analysed.
The list of Internet resources includes web site addresses for organizations involved in violence research,
prevention and advocacy. The list includes metasites (each site offers access to hundreds of organizations
involved in violence research, prevention and advocacy), web sites that focus on specific types of violence,
web sites that address broader contextual issues related to violence, and web sites that offer surveillance tools
for improving the understanding of violence.
