Unfortunately, no country or community is untouched by violence or immune to its often-devastating effects. While we read daily accounts of violence in countries that are engaged in war and the many and varied forms of strife, there are many other forms of violence. In fact, the extent of violence in communities is growing around the world and is a leading cause of death. Violence ranges from being highly visible to being nearly invisible. Some of the more invisible forms of violence are discussed in this issue. For example, cyberbullying is an often-unseen and concealed form of violence. However, its effects on both the bully and the victim are significant. Similarly, many instances of intimate partner violence go unnoticed. As the article in this issue makes clear, it takes considerable efforts in many cases for victims to seek help. There are many reasons for this, but unfortunately some of the reasons for not seeking help derive from the very people who should be helping the victims of abuse. That is, the police are not always helpful, understanding, and supportive. Likewise, the rules and regulations of the facilities and shelters designed to meet the needs of the abused population often interfere with their getting help when, where, and how they need it. The third article focusing on violence looks at ways to teach parents to discipline their children without using physical punishment. When parents hit children as a form of discipline, they plant the seeds that physically hitting someone is acceptable. It becomes hard for a parent to tell a child not to hit another child if the parent uses physical punishment. In this instance, the parent would certainly not be "walking the talk."
Violence is more than a "law and order"problem. It is a public health problem. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the key to dealing with violence is prevention and paying attention to the root causes of violence. In 2002, the World Health Organization issued the World Report on Violence and Health.1 The aim of the report was to challenge the secrecy and feelings of shame, helplessness, and inevitability related to violence. This report also noted that it is often hard to define violence and to determine with exactness what constitutes violence. There are many cultural implications to the consideration of violence. Also, social expectations about discipline have changed over the years. In the past, it was common for teachers in schools to hit children with a cane or a ruler. Now, they could be prosecuted for using physical punishment in many countries.
The World Health Organization defines violence 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."1(p4) As can be seen, this definition includes harm both to oneself and to others and includes harm that occurs during a war or other form of conflict and interpersonal and physical harm.
Four of the remaining articles in this issue deal with a prior issue theme: "Faith-based programs addressing community health issues."They describe innovative ways to meet the needs of community people through programs that promote healthcare through faith-based work. The final article presents a strong review of how to provide health information more effectively to people who are disadvantaged. This is an important topic in the current era of healthcare reform and making healthcare more accessible, including being more understandable to clients.
Jeanette Lancaster
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