Violence and Public Health: an Integrated, Evidence-based Approach to Preventing Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

Domestic violence and child abuse are both serious problems in their own right and highly significant contributors to the burden of ill health in countries the world over. Along with other types of violence to which they are causally related such as youth violence, elder abuse and suicide child abuse and domestic violence are therefore challenges for public health. In addition to the massive direct costs of treating injuries due to violence, most types of violence, but especially child abuse and intimate partner violence, have enormous non-injury health consequences including alcohol and drug abuse, depression and anxiety disorders, suicide and suicide attempts, obesity and eating disorders, unsafe sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV-AIDS) and smoking.