Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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:
Specific objective:
1
Finding:
Forms of violence
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:
2
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:
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:
3
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:
4
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:
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.
5
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
6
perpetration of interpersonal and self-directed violence, by which violence against
children can affect the next generation.
Risk factors
Individual level:
Close-relationship level:
Community level:
poverty
high population density
low social cohesion and transient populations
easy access to alcohol and firearms
7
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.
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:
8
Programmes providing information about drug abuse.
They are designed to help children and adolescents develop skills, manage anger, resolve
conflicts and develop a moral perspective.
Therapeutic programmes:
Treatment programmes :
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 .
It aim at:
9
Home visits:
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
2. International treaties
3. Policy changes to reduce poverty and inequality and improve support for families
10
Conclusion:
11