Online Program

Oral

Abstract: The problem of violence has been well documented. Each year, over 1.5 million victims are treated in hospitals nationwide for nonfatal gunshot, stabbings, and other physical assault injuries; approximately 30% of these victims are males of color (CDC, 2013). Violence is the leading cause of death for young African American males between the ages of 15 and 34, the second leading cause of death for young Latino males. Exposure to violence is associated with poor health outcomes and a higher risk of violent behavior. We know that violence is a contagious process – transmitted from one person to the next. Being exposed to violence makes it more likely that an individual will develop the symptoms of the disease. Those exposed, either by observing, witnessing, or being subjected to violence, are more likely to become a perpetrator of violence and more likely to be affected by recurrent violence and retaliation. Chronic exposure, pervasive in communities disproportionately affected by violence, can result in both individual and community trauma. This diverse panel of speakers will discuss the contagious nature of violence, the effects of exposure to violence and the impact of trauma. Attendees will develop an understanding of the contagious process of violence and how chronic exposure and subsequent trauma impact the health and wellbeing of individuals and the community.

Session Objectives: Identify Violence as a Health Issues Discuss how violence occurrence negatively impacts the lifespan Discuss violence across the board