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Division of Violence Prevention
 

CDC has focused on violence prevention since the early 1980s, when efforts included the prevention of youth violence, suicide, and suicide attempts. The Division of Violence Prevention in CDC's Injury Center has the following priority areas for violence prevention: 

This page provides an overview of violence in the United States and CDC's related activities and publications.
 
 

Violence in the United States

  • In 2001, homicide claimed the lives of 20,308 Americans. Suicide was responsible for the deaths of 30,622 Americans (CDC 2003).
  • Homicide is the second leading cause of death for persons 15 to 34 years of age and is the leading cause of death for African-Americans in this age-group (CDC 2003).
     
  • In 2001, 4,032 women more than 19 years of age were victims of homicide in the United States (CDC 2003).
  • There were 29,573 firearm-related deaths in 2001 (CDC 2003).
     
  • In 2001, more than 2 million nonfatal violence-related injuries occurred in the United States (CDC 2003).
 
Current Activities of the Division

The Division of Violence Prevention supports both intramural and extramural projects and activities to prevent violence. These activities focus on primary prevention of violence through a public health approach that complements the approaches used by criminal justice, education, and the many other disciplines that work in this area. Some of the projects supported by the division include:

  • National Sexual Violence Resource Center  
    logo for national sexual violence resource centeris a clearinghouse of information, resources and research, related to all aspects of sexual violence.  Activities include collecting, reviewing, cataloging, and disseminating information related to sexual violence; coordinating efforts with other organizations and projects; providing technical assistance and customized information packets on specific topics; and maintaining a website with current information including upcoming conferences, funding opportunities, job announcements, research, special events, links to state and territory coalitions, and other resources.  The NSVRC also produces a biannual newsletter, The Resource; recommends speakers for conferences; coordinates national sexual assault awareness activities; and identifies emerging policy issues and research needs.  The NSVRC serves coalitions, local rape crisis centers, government and tribal entities, colleges and universities, service providers, researchers, allied organizations, policy-makers, and the general public. Contact NSVRC
    toll free at 877-739-3895

    www.nsvrc.org
                                                       
     
  • National Violent Death Reporting System
    CDC is working to establish a National Violent Death Reporting System (NDVRS) to gather detailed data from states about violent deaths in America.  Violent deaths include homicides, suicides, deaths from legal intervention, and deaths of undetermined cause.  The system will pull together information from multiple sources on the state level to gain an accurate understanding of the problem.  Such information will assist policymakers and community leaders in making educated decisions about strategies and programs to prevent violence.  For more information, please see the CDC fact sheet or the NDVRS brochure, available on the website of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center.
    www.nviss.org  
      

  • National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center 
    logo for national youth violence prevention resource centerserves as a user-friendly, single point of access for information and materials available from federal agencies working to prevent violence and suicide among our nation’s youth. The resource center is a collaboration between the CDC and other federal agencies. The center’s web site, toll-free hotline 1-866-SAFEYOUTH (723-3968), and fax-on-demand service offer information about prevention programs, publications, research and statistics, and fact sheets. The site links parents, teens, and researchers to materials designed specifically for those audiences.    
    www.safeyouth.org
     
  • Violence Against Women Electronic Network 
    logo for national electronic network on violence against women
    Provides support for the development, implementation, and maintenance of effective violence against women intervention and prevention efforts at the national, state, and local levels through electronic communication and information dissemination. VAWnet participants, including state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, allied organizations, and individuals, have access to online database resources.  Network members are able to engage in information sharing, problem-solving, and issue analysis via electronic mail and a series of issue-specific forums facilitated by nationally recognized experts in the field of violence against women.  VAWnet also operates an extensive searchable electronic library available to the general public, providing links to external sources; an “In the News” section; and access to articles and audio and video resources focused on intimate partner and sexual violence and related issues.     
    www.vawnet.org 
     
  • Demonstration Projects for the Early Intervention and Prevention of Sexual Violence and Intimate Partner Violence among Racial And Ethnic Minority Populations
    CDC funds 10 projects to prevent intimate partner violence and sexual violence among various racial and ethnic populations, including African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The projects were selected based on their capacity to identify and respond to the special needs of the target groups. Project staff will develop and evaluate programs for children, victims and perpetrators; programs to prevent dating violence among school-aged youth; or programs that link victims with community-based service providers. Components of each of the projects will vary.  For more information, see:
    www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/demosipv.htm 
     
  • Rape Prevention and Education Grants
    CDC's Injury Center offers technical assistance to state health departments and sexual assault coalitions to help them more effectively use funds received through the Violence Against Women Act. The funds-designed to enable states to educate communities about sexual assault and develop programs to prevent it--support educational seminars, hotlines, training programs for professionals, development of informational materials, and special programs for underserved communities. At least 25% of funds for the rape prevention and education programs must target junior high and high school students. With CDC's support, states and territories have strengthened their infrastructure to address sexual violence, provide more extensive services to survivors of sexual assault and rape, and implement prevention and education programs. For more information please see: 
    www.cdc.gov/ncipc/res-opps/rape.htm
 
International Efforts 

 
Publications

Spotlights 

 
References  

CDC. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System [Online]. (2003). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars.   

 

Contact
Information

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Mailstop K60
4770 Buford Highway NE
Atlanta, GA 30341-3724

Phone: 770.488.4362
Fax: 770.488.4349
Email: DVPINFO@cdc.gov


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This page last reviewed 08/05/04.

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