Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as physical and sexual violence, emotional abuse, or stalking by an intimate partner. One in four US women and one in ten men have experienced IPV in their lifetimes. Throughout the world, IPV is the single leading cause of homicide death in women. In the U.S. IPV against women disproportionately affects ethnic minorities. Other disparities exist as well relate to socioeconomic and foreign-born status that impact the physical and mental health outcomes that result from IPV. Approximately 42.4 million women in the U.S. experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.
Social workers, clinicians, educators, public policy, mental health services, politicians, friends and family—- we must all do better.
Childhood causes of Death
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just updated new data in May of 2022 that showed 45, 222 firearm related deaths in the U.S. in 2020. This is a new peak. These new data show an increase of 13.5% in the crude rate of firearm-related death from 2019-2020. This increase was largely driven by firearm homicides which saw a 33.4% increase from 2019-2020 and the increase rate of firearm suicides increased by 1.1% in this same time frame. Firearm homicides disproportionately affect younger individuals in the U.S. Earlier analysis of data through 2016 showed that firearm-related injuries were second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents (ages 1-19 y.o.). The gap has been narrowing between the two and in 2020, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death in that age group. The increase in the rate of firearm related deaths including suicide and homicide (both unintentional and undetermined) among children and adolescents from 2019 to 2020 was 29.5%. This is more than twice as high as the increase in the general population.
If that news wasn’t bad enough, drug overdose and poisoning increased by 83.6% from 2019-2020 among children and adolescents, putting it at now the third leading cause of death in ages 1-19. The biggest explanation for this is the 110.6% increase in unintentional poisonings from 2019-2020.
I think we have to admit, we are failing to protect our children— from firearm violence, motor vehicle accidents, accidental poisonings and recreational drugs.
The multiplicity of factors and influences on these issues, let alone the comprehensive approach and solutions needed are complex and seemingly overwhelming. Maybe we can each make at least a little difference in our own realms. And hopefully, wise leaders and everyday community members can help lead the way.
