Is violence a disease? Situating violence prevention in public health policy and practice

Williams, Damien; Donnelly, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2014.09.010

Cited by 24 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…In this article, we ask, can information be harmful, contagious and a causal factor in social epidemics? This is a critical question since there is an unresolved debate about whether social epidemics such as violence should be classified as epidemics (Greene, 2018;Loeffler and Flaxman, 2018;Slutkin et al, 2018b;Williams and Donnelly, 2014). One of the key arguments against their classification as epidemics is that there is no causal agent (Greene, 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Information: a missing component in understanding and mitigating social epidemics

Magarey

Trexler

2020

Humanit Soc Sci Commun

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Social epidemics or behaviorally based non-communicable diseases are becoming an increasingly important problem in developed countries including the United States. It is the aim of our paper to propose a previously understudied aspect of the spread of social epidemics, the role of information in both causing and mitigating social epidemics. In this paper, we ask, can information be harmful, contagious, and a causal factor in social epidemics? In the spread of biological epidemics, the causal agents are biological pathogens such as bacteria or viruses. We propose that in the spread of social epidemics, one of the causal agents is harmful information, which is increasing exponentially in the age of the internet. We ground our idea in the concept of the meme and define the concept of an infopathogen as harmful information that can spread or intensify a social epidemic. Second, we ask, what are the best tools to understand the role of information in the spread of social epidemics? The epidemiological triad that includes a host, agents (and vectors), and the environment is extended into a quad by including information agents. The quad includes the role of information technologies as vectors and the impact of the social environment. The “life cycles” of pathogens in biological epidemics and infopathogens in social epidemics are compared, along with mitigations suggested by the epidemiological quad. Challenges to the theory of infopathogens, including the complexities associated with the spread of memes and the role of behavior in the spread of epidemics are discussed. Implications of the theory including the classification of harmfulness, the freedom of speech, and the treatment of infected individuals are also considered. We believe the application of the epidemiological quad provides insights into social epidemics and potential mitigations. Finally, we stress that infopathogens are only part of social epidemic development; susceptible hosts, a favorable environment, and availability of physical agents are all also required.

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confidence: 99%

Information: a missing component in understanding and mitigating social epidemics

Magarey

Trexler

2020

Humanit Soc Sci Commun

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“…incarceration) versus primary and secondary prevention initiatives. This is especially important considering that the success of primary and secondary initiatives is likely dependent on the provision of government funding and support (Letourneau et al, 2018;Williams & Donnelly, 2014).…”

Section: Economic Benefits Of Preventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary and secondary prevention of child sexual abuse

Knack

Winder

Murphy

et al. 2019

International Review of Psychiatry

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The high prevalence rates and numerous consequences associated with child sexual abuse makes preventing these offences a societal priority. Prevention strategies have traditionally involved only tertiary interventions, implemented by the criminal justice system after an offence has occurred. More recently, some have argued for a public health approach to preventing child sexual abuse, which includes interventions at the primary and secondary levels. Secondary prevention aims to provide treatment and support to those at-risk of sexually offending before any involvement with the legal system. Increased demand for secondary prevention services and early results from current initiatives demonstrate that at-risk individuals are willing to seek treatment without external pressure from the legal system, and often report numerous treatment-related benefits. These findings support the need for widespread implementation of primary and secondary prevention initiatives. The safety of children requires that we, as a society, stop merely reacting to sexual offences, and instead begin implementing proactive evidence-based strategies that can prevent even initial incidents of child sexual abuse. This article explores some of the many benefits and barriers associated with primary and secondary prevention, as well as strategies for overcoming these barriers. Recommendations for the development and implementation of prevention initiatives are also included.

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“…7 Violence, violence against women and intimate partner violence is an area that Public Health has had an active interest in and has reported on before 8, 9 and 10 ; however in this November issue of Public Health we are pleased to publish a commissioned review by Williams and Donnelly that sets violence in its historical and public health contexts. 11 The review highlights Pinker's detailed analysis of violence across the centuries. This suggests that our ancestors were far more violent than we are.…”

Section: Ser Jorah Mormontmentioning

confidence: 99%