Healthy People 2010 – Decreasing Violence

1. Healthy People 2010 – Decreasing Violence By Mary B. Knutson Viterbo University MSN Student

2. Healthy People 2010 Objective #8 : Decreasing Violence • To Reduce the number and severity of injuries from unintentional causes, as well as violence and abuse • Because of the broad scope of this objective, it was narrowed to the following: • To Reduce the number and severity of injuries from child abuse, family violence and school violence

3. Why is Decreasing Violence Important? • This objective is essential because violence is pervasive in our society and has the potential to negatively change our quality of life. • Even small towns and rural areas are concerned about the safety of their children at school, gang violence, sexual assault, child abuse and suicide.

4. Homicide • It is the second leading cause of death for young people age 15-24, and the leading cause of death in African American and Hispanic youth. • In 1995, 7,284 young people age 15-24 were victims of homicide, amounting to almost 19 youth homicide victims per day in the United States.

5. School Violence • From 1994 through 1998, there was a yearly average of 45 deaths from violence in school-associated settings in this country (Barrios et al. 2000). • Students at the elementary school level who exhibit violent behaviors are more likely to become adolescents and adults who exhibit physical aggression and criminal acts

6. In 1999, an estimated 1,100 children died as a result of abuse and neglect. The majority (80.9%) of maltreatment fatalities were committed by one or more parents. Children under age 6 and under accounted for more than three-quarters of these child fatalities. Infants under 1 year of age comprised approximately 43% of these deaths. Child Abuse and Neglect

7. Men who are physically violent toward their partners are more likely to be sexually violent toward them and are more likely to use violence toward children. The physical and emotional consequences of family violence are significant The perpetuation of intimate partner violence is most common in adults, who, as children or adolescents, witnessed intimate partner violence or became the targets of violence from their caregivers. Family Violence

8. Identify students and families at risk. Provide intervention and supports, such as counseling or day treatment programs May also include foster care, law enforcement and mental health treatment. Understand risk factors including individual, environmental, community and family level risk factors. One of Healthy People 2010’s targets: Reduce to less than 15% the prevalence of weapon carrying by adolescents in grades 9 through 12. Data is collected from Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Center for Disease Control (CDC) and NCCDPHP (National Center for Chronic Disease and Public Health Promotion) Proposed Plans to Decrease Violence

9. Protective Factors • Having a positive attitude and a sense of purpose. • Using available family and community resources for support. • Utilizing conflict resolution and critical thinking skills. • Having a healthy family environment

10. Promote a positive attitude and a sense of purpose. Increase self-esteem. Use available family and community resources for support. Decrease social isolation by increasing kinship and community bonds. Teach children conflict resolution, anger management, assertiveness and critical thinking skills. Diminish the conditions of violence- poverty, bad housing, inadequate medical care, poor education. Eliminate the norms which legitimize violence in families. When children are getting medical treatment, broader treatment/caring options should be developed to prevent further abuse or neglect Ways to Protect Against Violence

11. Key Risk Factors for Violence

12. Activities of the Center for Disease Control • Developing Surveillance systems in seven states to monitor firearm injuries and related risk behaviors between 1994 and 1997. • Compiling a sourcebook on the Best Practices for youth violence prevention, such as social-cognitive training for children and adolescents, parent training, nurse home visits to high-risk young parents, and mentoring programs for young people. • Research on risk factors and protective factors, and many publications on prevention of violence. Reference: Web site at www.cdc.gov

13. National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center Activities • The NYVPRC was established by the Federal Working Group on Youth Violence and the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention. • The Center provides parents, teenagers, health care providers, law enforcement officials and other professionals and concerned citizens a single, user-friendly point of access to information about the effective strategies to control and prevent such violence. 1-800-SAFEYOUTH 1-886-968-8484

14. What I Learned From This Research • Because of the nature of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, much remains unknown about them. The statistics are not complete enough to even estimate a target goal for 2010. • It is likely that the statistics from some of the other types of violence are not properly reported either, so they have made 3 additional goals for improvement:

15. Extend protocols for routinely identifying, treating and properly referring suicide attempters, victims of sexual assault and victims of partner violence, elder and child abuse to at least 90% of hospital Emergency Departments. Increase to at least 30 the number of states where at least 50% of children who have been abused or neglected receive physical and mental evaluation with appropriate follow-up Breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse. Related Goals:

16. Extend coordinated, comprehensive violence prevention programs to at least 80% of local jurisdictions with populations over 100,000. As you can see, these objectives contain multiple, important issues which will also make them difficult to track. This topic is a very challenging one, needing creative solutions. Objectives for Prevention of Violence

17. An Original Idea: • I think a program similar to an Employee Assistance Programs would be helpful. I would call it a Student Assistance Program. • School would contract services for each student (and their family) which would provide up to 8 counseling and referral sessions (free of charge) per year. • The counselors do not keep written notes, to protect confidentiality. • Besides being a valuable resource to decrease family violence where it originates, it would allow for more possibility of reporting violence which was not reported to law enforcement.

18. Conclusion • There is a lot being done to prevent youth violence • Reduction of weapon carrying and physical fighting • Implementation of child death review systems • Nonviolent conflict resolution programs in school • There is much more to be done. • Homicide, maltreatment of children, physical abuse toward women, physical and sexual assaults, and suicide attempts among adolescents need extra attention to meet the Healthy People 2010 Objectives.