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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
Time: 9:14 pm
Time: 9:14 pm
Results for gun violence (brazil)
1 results foundAuthor: Perez, Maria Fernanda Tourinho Title: Firearm-related violence in Brazil Summary: This report provides a summary of the major findings and conclusions of a research effort to create a comprehensive profile of firearm-related violence in Brazil. The research was undertaken and coordinated by the Centre for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo, and received technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Small Arms Survey (SAS). The WHO has drawn attention to the fact that violence is a major global public health problem through a variety of World Health Assembly resolutions and comprehensive reports such as the World report on violence and health. The statement that violence is a public health problem may not, at first view, be easily understandable. In Brazil, as in many other countries around the world, violence is traditionally approached almost exclusively as a public security problem, with major responses focused on police action and judicial mechanisms. However, this view is beginning to change, and there is increasing recognition of the role of the public health sector and perspective in preventing violence. A public health approach to violence promotes analysis of the distribution of violence and it's determinants, and advocates drawing from this analysis coherent preventive strategies which involve a variety of sectors, including the health sector. This does not mean that violence should be viewed only as a health problem, but that it is important to consider the effects of violence on public health and the potential contributions for preventing violence that can be made through the public health sector. In sum, a public health approach to violence advocates understanding violence through the study of its social determinants, knowing its frequency and distribution in population groups, identifying its risk factors, proposing preventive measures and evaluating and monitoring preventive actions. Thus, far from viewing violence only as a health problem, the public health approach argues that violence must be understood in terms of it's distribution and determinants, and that from understanding these complexities societies can engage in preventive measures. This is neither an easy task, nor is it the task of a single sector. Violence is a social problem with public health, development and security dimensions, and rising to meet this challenge will require the combined and coherent efforts of a broad variety of sectors - both governmental and non-governmental. While there have been a number of studies addressing violence within Brazil, particularly since the late 1980's, the specific issue of firearm-related violence has not always been addressed. Over and above this, many academic studies have tended to circulate mainly within academic networks, with relatively little impact on policy-making or practitioners of violence prevention. The purpose of this publication is to provide a means for the broad dissemination of the summary results of an extensive research undertaking regarding firearm-related violence in Brazil, and in particular to underline the policy-oriented relevance of this work. We hope to contribute to the public debate, as well as towards the formulation of new proposals for such a serious problem in the country. Preventing firearm-related violence will require multi-sectoral approaches. The WHO's World report on violence and health rightly draws attention to the fact that no single factor is responsible for any form of violence. Firearm-related violence, like all other forms of violence, arises from a complex interaction of determinants that can be situated at the level of the individual, their relationships, the community, and society. Multi-sectoral and integrated preventive measures that include structural measures to reduce inequity are essential. Furthermore, the reduction of impunity, reforms within police, judicial and penitentiary systems are all necessary to reduce perceived insecurity within the Brazilian population, particularly since perceived insecurity is the fundamental driver of demand for firearms. Ample evidence indicates that ready access to firearms dramatically increases the lethality of violent encounters, thereby augmenting feelings of fear and insecurity. As a result the demand for firearms fuels increasing insecurity, which fuels further demand for firearms and so on and so forth. The pages of this report demonstrate clearly that firearm-related violence has become an everyday fact of life within Brazilian society, and that this tragedy is experienced most acutely by Brazil's urban youth. Illicit trafficking in drugs and firearms, limited opportunities and perspectives on life for the young population, combined with a social context characterized by unemployment and huge socioeconomic disparities, all contribute to the strikingly high levels of firearm-related violence among Brazil's urban youth. It is beyond the scope of this work to answer all questions about armed violence in Brazil, and this has not been our intent. Our intent has been - through the presentation of a comprehensive profile of firearm-related violence within the country - to contribute to the recognition of the scale and characteristics of this problem, and to advance the case that a broad grouping of sectors within Brazil need to move forward in developing coherent solutions to the problem of firearm-related violence. Details: Sao Paulo: Universidade de Sao Paulo, 2004. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2014 at: http://www.nevusp.org/downloads/down131.pdf Year: 2004 Country: Brazil URL: http://www.nevusp.org/downloads/down131.pdf Shelf Number: 134182 Keywords: FirearmsGun Violence (Brazil)Gun-Related ViolenceHomicidesViolent Crime |