The European Violence Prevention in Health Network - consisting of several forensic medicine institutes in France (Bordeaux, Toulouse), Germany (Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig), Belgium (Liège) and Austria (Vienna) and the Hesse Department of Social Welfare in Germany - has received a grant from the European Union (DAPHNE Programme to Combat Violence against Children, Youths and Women 2000-2003) to run a project with the following scope:
European Violence Prevention in Health Network
The European Violence Prevention in Health Network - consisting of several forensic medicine institutes in France (Bordeaux, Toulouse), Germany (Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig), Belgium (Liège) and Austria (Vienna) and the Hesse Department of Social Welfare in Germany - has received a grant from the European Union (DAPHNE Programme to Combat Violence against Children, Youths and Women 2000-2003) to run a project with the following scope:
- conduct the first multi-centre forensic medicine epidemiological study performed in Europe on the incidence, prevalence and health effects of violence against women and children,
- pursue interdisciplinary health intervention in clinical and private practice settings,
- examine the role forensic physicians can play in different health settings and outside clinical care,
- link partner regions in Europe to create joint efforts in violence prevention at the regional level,
- develop recommendations for Europe (health practice protocols and potentially for law reform) to utilize forensic medical expertise in violence prevention and intervention more effectively, and ultimately
- establish the basis for a sustainable European Violence Prevention in Health Network between forensic physicians, other health actors, victim advocates, the judiciary, law enforcement and policy - with the potential for growing membership Europe.
Milestones
Mid-way into the project, the Network has, in addition to beginning the epidemiological study,
- reached out to more forensic medicine institutes individually and through a pan-European situational analysis analyzing the extent to which forensic medicine is involved in victim care and interdisciplinary cooperation,
- begun cooperation with a public health agency performing population-based research on intimate partner violence (Bristol/England),
- is increasingly linked up with victim advocacy as well as with leadership in the law (French National Academy of Justice and legal professional associations in particular),
- joined the Violence Prevention Alliance initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote implementation of the recommendations of the World Health Report on Violence and Health (E Krug et al., 2002).
Where do we go from here?
If we are to reach our goal of improving both health outcomes and systematic violence prevention in our communities, gaps in knowledge about the incidence and prevalence of violence, and the effectiveness of health interventions by forensic medicine and other health actors, need to be filled.
The Network will provide a forum to discuss its preliminary findings with other researchers and violence prevention professionals at the European Violence Prevention in Health Colloquium in Bordeauxon 22 October 2004.
We will explore together with the WHO and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention/USA (CDC) the potential of a future European Violence Observatory to
- improve assessment of the need for action and evaluation of violence prevention practice in forensic medicine and other areas of health as well as
- offer a framework for a sustainable, multi-sectoral European Violence Prevention in Health Network.
Who should attend?
Forensic physicians and other health actors, policy-makers, public health research, the legal professions in law practice and research, law enforcement, social work and – last but not least - victim advocates and multi-sectoral violence prevention networks.
Contact:
for multi-sectoral approach, policy development and colloquium:
Nancy Gage-Lindner
Hesse Department of Social Welfare
Wiesbaden, Germany
n.gage-lindner@hsm.hessen.de
Tel. ++49-(0)611-817 2473
for project coordination, research details and colloquium:
Larbi Benali
University of Bordeaux University Hospital
Department of Forensic Medicine
Bordeaux, France
larbi.benali@chu-bordeaux.fr
Tel. ++33.(0)5-5679 5679, extension (poste) 15719