Successful prevention means that many of these 23,000 people would be alive and contributing to society. Prevention means saving people and society the human suffering and financial cost of caring for the injured and the resulting disabled. One of the factors that makes these numbers so devastating is the youth of the victims and the perpetrators. A group of young people reported in a recent PHS survey that violence was so prevalent in their lives they believed they would not live to age 16. Homicide is the second leading cause of death for those ages 15 through 24.
Violence has a disproportionately greater impact on racial and ethnic minorities.
In fact, it is the leading cause of death for African American males and females ages 15 through 24. To protect our children, there are many things we must change. Addressing TV violence alone is not enough. First, public health can provide a scientific basis for defining the problem and finding solutions. The topic of violence in our nation is a very emotional one.