ABSTRACT
Violence is a preventable disease. Though males are the main perpetrators of violence, they are twice as likely to be victims of violence as females. Teenage boys are four times as likely to commit suicide as their female counterparts, and this difference increases with age, so that at the age of 85 the suicide rate is 1,350 times higher than for females. Gelles, a noted researcher in the field of domestic violence, defines violence as an "act carried out with the intention, or perceived intention, of physically injuring another person". Domestic violence has its roots in traditional, cultural, and legal support for male dominance in family life. Violence against women is a right that has been exercised with impunity for centuries. Physical violence against wives was seen as necessary for the "well-being" of women. The prevention of violence will therefore require a public health approach that puts the attachment needs of the individual child, woman, and man.
