Page 564 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

VIoLENCE n 531

creative. Researchers can design unique Nursing scholarships related to violence rec-
ways to support the validity of their instru- ognize the complex interaction of commu-
ments. The important point is that whatever nity and societal factors, individual factors, V
is designed must be based in theory and and familial risk factors that include, but are
must be intuitively and logically supported not limited to, inequality, marginalization,
by the investigator. disparity, residential mobility, poverty, unem-
ployment, lack of education, lack of career
Joyce A. Verran opportunities, housing, social and cultural
Paula M. Meek norms, stigmatization and bias, population
density, history of violence, psychological
conditions, alcohol or drug use, presence
of mental illness, dependency, and attach-
Violence ment disorders, which require evidence and
research-based preventive measures.
Violence and abuse against women
Violence is an intentional public health prob- (VAAW) has been recognized globally as
lem of epidemic proportions that impacts a public health problem affecting women
individuals, families, and communities. regardless of age, culture, or socioeconomic
More than 1.6 million people worldwide status. VAAW consists of physical, psycho-
lose their lives to violence each year (Centers logical, and sexual types; various control-
for disease Control and Prevention, 2010c). ling behaviors by perpetrators; stalking; and
Violence is the leading cause of death for indi- workplace violence. A silent phenomenon
viduals between the ages of 15 and 44 years is violence and abuse against men, which
(Centers for disease Control and Prevention, is also considered a public health problem.
2010c). Since the early 1980s, public health Violence against men occurs through male
practitioners and researchers have responded and female perpetrators in a variety of set-
to violence in an attempt to understand the tings. The types of violence against men are
roots and strategies for the prevention of the same as that experienced by women.
violence. Violence is a preventable prob- Nursing research evolved from concern
lem. The World Health organization (2002) for the victim of abuse and focused on risk
defines violence as “the intentional use of factors, battering syndrome, intimate part-
physical force or power, threatened or actual, ner violence, children of battered women,
against oneself, another person, or against a consequences of abuse, relationships of HIV
group or community, that either results in or infections and violence, and abuse during
has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, pregnancy. Ethical conduct and safety issues
death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, in VAAW research are critical. Campbell,
or deprivation” (p. 5). However, this defini- Harris, and Lee (1995) published a violence
tion of violence is not universally accepted review that highlighted significant findings
as a result of cultural influences. The World in the area of VAAW. Manfrin-Ledet and
Health organization, developed a three-level Porche (2003) published a meta-analysis of
violence typology of violence that includes the state of the science in the intersections of
self-directed, interpersonal, and collective violence and HIV infection.
violence. Contributions by nurse researchers
Violence affects victims physically, emo- related to the study of child abuse have
tionally, psychologically, spiritually, econom- focused on shaken baby syndrome, the bat-
ically, and socially. Nurses are engaged in tered child, health and sociological conse-
providing care to victims and perpetrators of quences of child abuse, risk factors, child
violence in a variety of health care settings. sexual assault, and neglect. Clements and