Introduction

Violence is defined by the world health organization 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. Violence is multifaceted problem
with biological, psychological, social and environmental roots.

Globally, some 470 000 homicides occur each year and millions of people suffer
violence-related injuries. Beyond death and injury, exposure to violence can increase the
risk of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse; mental illness and suicidality; chronic diseases
like heart disease, diabetes and cancer; infectious diseases such as HIV, and social
problems such as crime and further violence. Each year, 1.4 million people worldwide
lose their lives to violence. For every person who dies as a result of violence, many more
are injured and suffer from a range of physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health
problems. Violence places a massive burden on national economies, costing countries
billions of US dollars each year in health care, law enforcement and lost productivity.
Yet, violence can be prevented.

Objective:

General objective:

 To study the violence prevention and policy.

Specific objective:

 To study the forms of violence

 To study the impact of violence
 To explain the risk factors of violence in different level.
 To study about the violence prevention programme and policies.

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Finding:

Forms of violence

There are nine distinct forms of violence and abuse:

 Physical violence;
 Sexual violence;
 Emotional violence;
 Psychological violence;
 Spiritual violence;
 Cultural violence;
 Verbal Abuse;
 Financial Abuse; and,
 Neglect

1. Physical Violence

Physical violence occurs when someone uses a part of their body or an object to control a
person’s actions. Pushing, shoving pinning, holding a person down, pinching, hair
pulling, slapping etc include in physical violence.

2. Sexual Violence

Sexual violence occurs when a person is forced to unwillingly take part in sexual activity.
Sexual violence includes, but is not limited to:

 Touching in a sexual manner without consent (i.e., kissing, grabbing, fondling);

 Forced sexual intercourse;
 Forcing a person to perform sexual acts that may be degrading or painful;
 Beating sexual parts of the body;

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  Forcing a person to view pornographic material; forcing participation in
pornographic filming; etc.

3. Emotional Violence

Emotional violence occurs when someone says or does something to make a person feel
stupid or worthless. Emotional violence includes, but is not limited to:

 Name calling;
 Blaming all relationship problems on the person;
 Using silent treatment;
 Not allowing the person to have contact with family and friends
 Humiliating or making fun of the person;

4. Psychological Violence

Psychological violence occurs when someone uses threats and causes fear in a person to
gain control. Psychological violence includes, but is not limited to:

 Threatening to harm the person or her or his family if she or he leaves;

 Threatening to harm oneself;
 Threats of violence;
 Threats of abandonment;
 Stalking / criminal harassment;
 Destruction of personal property;
 Verbal aggression;
 Socially isolating the person; etc.

5. Spiritual Violence

Spiritual (or religious) violence occurs when someone uses a person’s spiritual beliefs to
manipulate, dominate or control the person. Spiritual violence includes, but is not limited
to:

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  Not allowing the person to follow her or his preferred spiritual or religious
tradition;
 Forcing a spiritual or religious path or practice on another person;
 Belittling or making fun of a person’s spiritual or religious tradition, beliefs or
practices; and,
 Using one’s spiritual or religious position, rituals or practices to manipulate,
dominate or control a person.

6. Cultural Violence

Cultural violence occurs when a person is harmed as a result of practices that are part of
her or his culture, religion or tradition. Cultural violence includes, but is not limited to:

 Committing “honour” or other crimes against women in some parts of the world,
where women especially may be physically harmed, shunned, maimed or killed
for:
 Falling in love with the “wrong” person;
 Seeking divorce;
 Being raped;
 Practicing witchcraft; and,
 Being older.

7. Verbal Abuse

Verbal abuse occurs when someone uses language, whether spoken or written, to cause
harm to a person.Verbal abuse includes, but is not limited to:

 Recalling a person’s past mistakes;

 Expressing negative expectations;
 Expressing distrust;
 Threatening violence against a person or her or his family members;
 Name-calling;

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  Insulting, swearing;
 Talking unkindly about death to a person; and,
 Telling a person she or he is worthless or nothing but trouble.

8. Financial Abuse

Financial abuse occurs when someone controls a person’s financial resources without the
person’s consent or misuses those resources.Financial abuse includes, but is not limited
to:

 Not allowing the person to participate in educational programs;

 Forcing the person to work outside the home;
 Refusing to let the person work outside the home or attend school;
 Controlling the person’s choice of occupation;
 Illegally or improperly using a person’s money, assets or property;
 Acts of fraud; pulling off a scam against a person;
 Taking funds from the person without permission for one’s own use; etc.

9. Neglect

Neglect occurs when someone has the responsibility to provide care or assistance for you
but does not. Neglect includes, but is not limited to, the following:

 Failing to meet the needs of a person who is unable to meet those needs alone;
 Abandonment in a public setting; and,
 Not remaining with a person who needs help.

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Impact of violence

Violence has lifelong impacts on health and well-being of families, communities, and
nations. Violence can:

 Result in death. Homicide, which often involves weapons such as knives and
firearms, is among the top three causes of death in adolescents, with boys
comprising over 80% of victims and perpetrators.
 Lead to severe injuries. For every homicide, there are hundreds of
predominantly male victims of youth violence who sustain injuries because of
physical fighting and assault.
 Impair brain and nervous system development. Exposure to violence at an
early age can impair brain development and damage other parts of the nervous
system, as well as the endocrine, circulatory, musculoskeletal, reproductive,
respiratory and immune systems, with lifelong consequences. As such, violence
against children can negatively affect cognitive development and results in
educational and vocational under-achievement.
 Result in negative coping and health risk behaviours. Children exposed to
violence and other adversities are substantially more likely to smoke, misuse
alcohol and drugs, and engage in high-risk sexual behaviour. They also have
higher rates of anxiety, depression, other mental health problems and suicide.
 Lead to unintended pregnancies, induced abortions, gynaecological problems,
and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
 Contribute to a wide range of non-communicable diseases as children grow
older. The increased risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other
health conditions is largely due to the negative coping and health risk behaviours
associated with violence.
 Impact opportunities and future generations. Children exposed to violence and
other adversities are more likely to drop out of school, have difficulty finding and
keeping a job, and are at heightened risk for later victimization and/or

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 perpetration of interpersonal and self-directed violence, by which violence against
children can affect the next generation.

Risk factors

Violence is a multifaceted problem with causes at the individual, close relationship,

community and societal levels. Important risk factors are:

Individual level:

 biological and personal aspects such as sex and age

 lower levels of education
 low income
 having a disability or mental health problems
 being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender
 harmful use of alcohol and drugs
 a history of exposure to violence.

Close-relationship level:

 lack of emotional bonding between children and parents or caregivers

 poor parenting practices
 family dysfunction and separation
 being associated with delinquent peers
 witnessing violence between parents or caregivers
 early or forced marriage.

Community level:

 poverty
 high population density
 low social cohesion and transient populations
 easy access to alcohol and firearms

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  high concentrations of gangs and illicit drug dealing.

Society level:

 social and gender norms that create a climate in which violence is normalized
 health, economic, educational and social policies that maintain economic, gender
and social inequalities
 absent or inadequate social protection
 post-conflict situations or natural disaster
 settings with weak governance and poor law enforcement.

Violence prevention programmes and policies:

Based on the perspective provided by the ecological model, violence prevention program
and policies can be targeted at individuals, relationship, communities and whole socities.

1. Individual level
2. Relationship level
3. Community level
4. Societal level

1. Individual level:
Individual approaches for preventing violence primarily focuses on two objectives :
 To encourage healthy attitudes and behavior in children and young people in
order to protect them as they grow up .
 To change attitudes and behaviour in individuals who have already become
violent or are at risk of harming themselves.

Educational programmes:

 Incentives for pupils to complete secondary schooling

 Vocational training for underprivileged youths and young adults.

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  Programmes providing information about drug abuse.

Social development programmes:

They are designed to help children and adolescents develop skills, manage anger, resolve
conflicts and develop a moral perspective.

Therapeutic programmes:

Counseling for victims of violence or for those at risk of harming themselves.

-Behavioural therapy for depression and other psychiatric disorders

Treatment programmes :

 Medical treatment for people suffering from psychiatrics disorders.

 Others programmes for sex offenders and people who abuse their partners and
childrens such as anger management , taking responsibility for one’s actions.

2. Relationship level

Training in parenting:

parenting programmes may be used in case where children are at risk of being abused by their
parents and it also help to prevent future delinquency.

Monitoring programmes:

programmes focus on young person, particularly one at risk of developing antisocial behaviour .

Family therapy programmes:

It aim at:

 Improving communications and interactions between family members .

 Teaching problem solving skills to assist parents and children .

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Home visits:

Regular visit by a nurse or others health professional .

Traning in relationship skills.

3. Community level
 Aim to raise public awereness and debate about the issues, stimulate community
action, adrees the social and material causes of violence in the local environment, and
make provision for the care and support of victims,
 Public education campaign
 Modification of the physical environment
 Extracurricular activities.
 Training for police, health and education professionals and employers to make them
better able to identify and respond to the different types of violence
 Community policing
 Programmes for specific setting
 Coordinated community interventions.

4. Societal level

1. Legislative and judicial remedies

2. International treaties

3. Policy changes to reduce poverty and inequality and improve support for families

4. Effort to change social and cultural norms

5. implementing disarmament and demobilization programmes.

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Conclusion:

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