Violence

Violence is often defined as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm and degradation to other living beings, such as humiliation, pain, injury, disablement, damage to property and ultimately death, as well as destruction to a civilization society's living environment.^[1] There's growing recognition among researchers and practitioners of the need to include violence that does not necessarily result in injury or death.^[2]: 5 The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation."^[2]: 5

Injuries and violence are a significant cause of death and burden of disease in all countries; however, they are not evenly distributed across or within countries.^[3] Violence-related injuries kill 1.25 million people every year, as of 2024.^[3] This is relatively similar to 2014 (1.3 million people or 2.5% of global mortality), 2013 (1.28 million people) and 1990 (1.13 million people).^{[4]: 2 [5]} For people aged 15–44 years, violence is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, as of 2014.^[4]: 2 Between 1990 and 2013, age-standardised death rates fell for self-harm and interpersonal violence.^[5]: 139 Of the deaths in 2013, roughly 842,000 were attributed to self-harm (suicide), 405,000 to interpersonal violence (homicide), and 31,000 to collective violence (war) and legal intervention.^[5] For each single death due to violence, there are dozens of hospitalizations, hundreds of emergency department visits, and thousands of doctors' appointments.^[6] Furthermore, violence often has lifelong consequences for physical and mental health and social functioning and can slow economic and social development. It's particularly the case if it happened in childhood.^[3]

In 2013, of the estimated 405,000 deaths due to interpersonal violence globally, assault by firearm was the cause in 180,000 deaths, assault by sharp object was the cause in 114,000 deaths, and the remaining 110,000 deaths from other causes.^[5]

Violence in many forms can be preventable. There is a strong relationship between levels of violence and modifiable factors in a country such as concentrated (regional) poverty, income and gender inequality, the harmful use of alcohol, and the absence of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and parents. Strategies addressing the underlying causes of violence can be relatively effective in preventing violence, although mental and physical health and individual responses, personalities, etc. have always been decisive factors in the formation of these behaviors.^[7]