The USA is said to be a violent nation. Historically, violence and infectious disease have been the two leading causes of premature death, yet until recently the field of public health has given little attention to violent behaviour. This book presents the first full epidemiological picture of violence in American society.

The aim of this volume is to draw together what is known about violence in our society, and to lead the way towards involving health professionals in education, prevention, and intervention. The authors, all experts in their fields, examine child, spouse, and elder abuse; sexual assault and rape; suicide; assaultive violence; and homicide. To each topic they bring an analysis of key issues in epidemiology, causal and risk factors, outcomes, and interventions.