Demography
Bringing Violence Under Control
Solutions to violence include educational and social opportunities.
by Clifton Coles
Violence claims the lives of more
than a million people every year and leaves many more with physical and emotional scars.
But gang violence and other homicides are not the main problem, according to researchers.
Nearly half of all violent deaths in 2000 were suicides, while fewer than a third were
homicides; only a fifth were directly related to war.
A global report by the World Health Organization also shows that
patterns of violence vary across regions and countries. The vast majority of violent
deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with rates per 100,000 double those of
high-income countries. In most regions, suicides outnumber homicides. In Europe, for
example, the rate of suicides to homicides is more than 2 to 1, while in the Western
Pacific, the ratio is 7 to 1. In contrast, there are nearly three homicides for every
suicide in Africa and the Americas.
Rates of violent death are much higher for men than for women in every
part of the world. More than three-fourths of all deaths from violence in 2000 were of
men, with males aged 15 to 29 being the hardest hit.
Experts point to a long list of factors that contribute to suicide among
young people, including lack of preparation for dealing with problems, repressive
parenting, poor employment opportunities, lack of services for high-risk youths, and
broken families. Psychological distress in the wake of natural disasters may also raise
suicide rates. A Taiwanese study reported in the International Journal of Epidemiology
revealed that victims of a 1999 earthquake were one and a half times more likely to commit
suicide than non-victims.
Research shows that the availability of handguns and pesticides also
contributes to suicide rates. The Taiwanese study estimates that there are up to 30,000
pesticide suicides in China and southeast Asia annually. Removing the means to commit
suicide has proven extremely effective in reducing that risk. According to WHO, suicide
rates in Samoa declined dramatically in the 1980s when the poisonous pesticide paraquat
began to be tightly controlled.
The Americas have proven to be a fertile ground for gangs and gang
violence. According to a 1996 study, some 31,000 gangs operate in the United States. In
both El Salvador and Honduras, there may be as many as 35,000 gang members. In Brazil,
gangs are a major contributor to high homicide rates in large cities. The Pan American
Health Organization found that poverty, unemployment, lack of access to social and public
services, and community and social violence contribute to gang membership. Alcohol abuse,
lack of education, poor work opportunities, anxiety, and abuse as a child are also factors
in violent behavior.
Leading health advocates argue that violent death is largely a
preventable problem. Promoting primary prevention responses will be key to reducing
violence and violent death. Putting more police on the streets may help against gang
violence, but child abuse, elderly abuse, and domestic violence against women require
different responses.
Proven public-health responses to violence include efforts to promote
anger management, such as school programs to teach youngsters how to deal with stress
nonviolently. Programs that work with child victims of family violence can help prevent
them from becoming adults who perpetrate violence.
Sources: "The Violence Pandemic: How Public Health Can Help Bring
It Under Control" by Donna Eberwine. Perspectives in Health 8, no. 3 (2003),
published by the Pan American Health Organization, 525 23rd Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20037. Web site www.paho.com.
University of Bristol, Senate House, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TH
United Kingdom. Web site www.bris.ac.uk.
