Youth Violence
Prevention
Scientific Information: Definitions
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Definition of Youth Violence
Interpersonal violence is defined as "the intentional use of
physical force or power, threatened or actual, against another
person or against a group or community that results in or has a high
likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm,
maldevelopment, or deprivation" (Dahlberg and Krug 2002). Research
and programs addressing youth violence typically include persons
between the ages of 10 and 24, although patterns of youth violence
can begin in early childhood.
This definition associates intent with committing the act-no matter
the outcome. In other words, intent to use force does not
necessarily mean intent to cause damage. Indeed, there may be a
considerable disparity between intended behavior and intended
consequence. A perpetrator may commit a seemingly dangerous act that
will likely result in adverse health effects, but the perpetrator
may not perceive it as such. For example, a youth may get in a
physical fight with another youth. The use of a fist against the
head or the use of a weapon in the dispute certainly increases the
risk of serious injury or death, though neither outcome may be
intended.
Other aspects of violence are implied in this definition. For
example, it includes all acts of violence, whether public or
private, reactive (in response to previous events such as
provocation), proactive (instrumental for or anticipating more
self-serving outcomes), or criminal or noncriminal. Each of these
aspects is important to understanding the causes of violence and in
designing prevention programs.
Why is a Consistent Definition Important?
A consistent definition is needed to
- monitor the incidence of youth violence,
- examine trends over time,
- determine the magnitude of youth violence, and
- compare youth violence across jurisdictions.
Such consistency also
helps researchers uniformly measure risk and protective factors for
victimization and perpetration. Ultimately, these measurements
inform prevention and intervention efforts.
Reference
Dahlberg LL, Krug EG. Violence: a global public health problem. In:
Krug EG, Dahlberg LL, Mercy JA, Zwi AB, Lozano R, editors. World
report on violence and health. Geneva (Switzerland): World Health
Organization; 2002. p. 1-21.
Page last modified: July 11, 2008