Understanding and Preventing Violence

This paper discusses the findings of the National Academy of Sciences Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violent Behavior, established to review the current status of research in violence; the extent and nature of violence in this country; promising opportunities for prevention; and areas in which further research and better measures are needed, particularly to identify causes and additional opportunities for prevention. Key findings include: The level of violent crime in this country has reached high, though not unprecedented levels; between 1975 and 1989, harsher prison sentencing prevented some violent crimes through incapacitation and deterrence, but crimes by persons still in the community offset those preventive effects; and in addition to an effective criminal justice response, the strategy for violence reduction should include preventive interventions directed at the multiple factors affecting the risk of violence.