Economic ffects of interventions to reduce interpersonal violence

• Author: Viorina Maria Judeu
• Position: Assist. AGORA University
• Pages: 45-54

45

ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE

INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE

Assist. Viorina Maria Berde

AGORA University

Abstract:

Violence is defined as: "The intentional use of physical force or power,

threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or

community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury,

death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation" 11

This definition explicitly includes psychological harm and deprivation

among the effects of violence, with corresponding implications for calculation of

the economic effects of violence. While there is general agreement that

psychological distress is an important component of the economic burden of

violence, most studies have not quantified it in calculating the economic effects of

violence. Among those that have, there is little agreement in the methodologies

used.

This document defines interpersonal violence to include violence between

family members and intimates, and violence between acquaintances and strangers

that is not intended to further the aims of any formally defined group or cause.

Within the broad category of interpersonal violence, family and partner violence

includes child abuse, intimate partner violence and elder abuse. Acquaintance and

stranger violence includes stranger rape or sexual assault, youth violence, violence

occurring during property crimes and violence in institutional settings such as

schools, workplaces and nursing homes. Self directed violence, war, state-

sponsored violence and other collective violence are specifically excluded from

these definitions.

To assess the economic dimensions of interpersonal violence, it is necessary

to understand the causes and identify the factors that increase the likelihood of

people becoming victims and perpetrators of such violence. No single factor can

explain why one individual, community or society is more or less likely to

experience interpersonal violence. Instead, the Report showed that interpersonal

violence is a complex phenomenon rooted in the interaction of many factors

ranging from the biological to the political. To capture this complexity, there was

adopted an ecological model that organizes the risk factors for interpersonal

violence into four interacting levels: the individual level, relationships, community

contexts and societal factors.

11 Ola W. Barnett, Cindy Miller-Perrin, Violence in Family, Harvey Publishing House, London

2002, p.34-36