A large number of people, approximately 1.4 million people worldwide, lose their lives to violence every year. This is a very sad and disturbing face of the reality that we have today. For every person who dies due to reasons related to violence, many more suffer from a wide range of physical, reproductive, sexual and mental health violence issues. Dealing with these issues is very important for every country because it places a massive burden on the national economy, and costs countries billions of dollars each year in healthcare, lost productivity and law enforcement. Here are a few facts regarding violence which people need to know about.
- Violence accounts for 1.4 million deaths per year on average. This amounts to almost 3800 people being killed every day. Therefore it must be treated as a significant human rights, public health and human development concern.
- Homicide and suicide account for more than 80% of deaths related to violence. Of the people killed by violence, statistically, 56% of them died by their own hand. 33% of the 56% of people who died did so due to injuries inflicted by another person. 11% of violence-related deaths is due to war or some form of collective violence.
- It will not be surprising that 90% of the deaths due to violence occurs in middle and low-income countries. Although violence-related deaths are becoming a public concern in developed countries as well, higher levels of economic inequality tend to show higher rates of death due to violence. Statistically, the highest death rates occur in countries with the poorest communities.
- Perpetrators of violence in men seem to be concentrated in the age groups from 15 to 44 years. It is estimated that for every young person killed by violence, an approximate of 20 to 40 people get injured that require hospital treatment.
- The health implications of violence are not limited to physical injury. Violence deeply affects the mental stage of people driving them into conditions like depression, mental disorders, chronic pain syndromes, suicide attempts, etc. Children who witness or are an active victim of violence have a higher risk of alcohol and drug abuse, smoking and high-risk sexual behaviour.
- As it is, violence is preventable. By strategically studying the underlying causes of violence, countries might be able to reduce it. Based on research in low and middle-income countries, the causes of violence may be due to inconsistent parenting, lower levels of education, concentrated poverty, unemployment or social norms supporting violence.
- Promising proven research has pointed to positive nurturing relationships with families for a violence-free childhood which may lead to reduced violence incidents. Violence prevention strategies include providing training for parents on child development, problem-solving skill development without violent discipline, promoting parental involvement in the lives of children and mentoring programs to develop attachments between high-risk youth and caring adults to build social skills and provide a sustainable relationship.
10 Facts About Violence Prevention