Violence Prevention
Helping people live to their fullest potential.
Violence is a serious public health problem in the United States. From infants to the elderly, it affects people in all stages of life. In 2009, almost 16,800 people were victims of homicide and nearly 37,000 took their own life.
The number of violent deaths tells only part of the story. Many more survive violence and are left with permanent physical and emotional scars. Violence also erodes communities by reducing productivity, decreasing property values, and disrupting social services.
CDC is committed to stopping violence before it begins.
In the Spotlight
UPDATE: Coping with Stress
Here are some tips for getting the right care and support in difficult times.
CDC Special Supplement—Youth Violence Protective Factors
Increase understanding of protective factors for youth violence perpetration by clarifying methods for conceptualizing, measuring, and distinguishing risk and protective effects.
Breaking the Silence – Public Health’s Role in Intimate Partner Violence Prevention
This session of Grand Rounds explores Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), a serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans.
Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma
The document is designed to aid in the collection of surveillance data and is intended to promote and improve consistency of abusive head trauma surveillance for public health purposes.
Economic Cost of Child Abuse and Neglect
The findings show the total lifetime costs of child maltreatment is $124 billion a year.
New Data: National Suicide Statistics At A Glance
Data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) provide information on suicides by associated circumstances for the 16 participating states and Youth Risk Behavior Survey System (YRBSS) data are used to illustrate prevalence of suicide thoughts, plans, and attempts. These data can be used by public health officials, researchers, practitioners and the public to better understand the burden of suicide, population subgroups at risk, and the need for effective prevention efforts.
Latest CDC Publication
Dating Matters™: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships employs a comprehensive approach to violence prevention at each level of the social ecology. Teen dating violence is a preventable public health problem. It requires a coordinated and comprehensive community response to stop it before it starts.
Funded Programs & Initiatives
- Academic Centers of Excellence (ACE)
- Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA)
- National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)
- Public Health Leadership Initiative (PHL)
- Rape Prevention and Education (RPE)
- STRYVE—Striving To Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere
- Violence Education Tools Online (VetoViolence)
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Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)
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