Violence as a public health problem

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7380.104

BMJ 2003;326:104 ( 11 January )

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EDITOR $---$ Although treating violence as a public health issue is not new,¹ the World Health Organization's report on violenceand health is an important reminder of the suffering we inflict,intentionally, on each other.² In the United Kingdom the Crimeand Disorder Act 1998 places a statutory obligation on healthservices to work with the police and local government to tacklecrime. So far, however, the police and local authorities in Englandand Wales have found the NHS difficult to engage, probably becausethe reasons to contribute are not widely understood.

(Credit: ZZ/REX)

A great deal of violence that results in treatment is not reported to or recorded by the police. This means that health serviceshave substantial opportunities to collect unique information aboutthe circumstances of violence, which, combined with police data,can be used to target violence prevention resources at particularlocations, times, and vulnerable individuals and groups.³ Sincemost . . . [Full text of this article]