Violence Is a Public Health and Healthcare Issue

Violence is a global issue that destroys the quality of life in communities and societies. Violence includes intentional and unintentional injury found in individuals who seek health care after acts of family violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault, trafficking, youth-on-youth violence, gang warfare, terror, war, disaster, and violence in schools, workplaces and prisons. The nature of violence is evolving. Death as a result of crime victimization now exceeds that of armed conflict. It is the position of the International Association of Forensic Nurses that forensic nurses are uniquely positioned to improve health outcomes that result from violence, including early identification of patients at risk of victimization or perpetration.