The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43925

Clare Houseman, PhD, RN, CS, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, Hampton Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23529-0286, 757 683 4259, chousema@odu.edu

Violence is a major public health and mental health issue. Being a victim of, or even being a witness to, violence is considered to be a major risk factor in developing mental health problems. Interventions to prevent violence are generally developed from a single disciplinary perspective e.g. psychology or sociology. Such a narrow perspective is limited in tackling the complex problem of violence which can be seen to have roots in the many areas currently being researched by different fields. This paper will propose a multilevel, multidisciplinary model for guiding research in the topic of violence. Examples of research methods and studies at each level will be summarized in order to produce a more comprehensive integrated model of the phenomenon. Information from biology, psychology, sociology and other disciplines will be used to develop a true public health research perspective. Contributions to the model from hereditary factors, intrapersonal phenomena and interpersonal experiences will be discussed. Included will be areas of research related to families of origin, present family and organizational(schools, workplace, etc.) interactions. The role of research in community disorganization will also be outlined including the contribution of neighborhoods from both a citizenry and urban planning perspective. The overarching economic and cultural factors as they relate to the violence model will be discussed. Ways in which the general public and specific community members can be involved in the study of violence,using this model, will also be presented.

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