Methodology

Violence Info draws on published scientific studies, WHO Global Health Estimates, and the WHO Global status report on violence prevention 2014. Published scientific studies provide data on the prevalence, consequences, risk factors and effectiveness of prevention and response strategies. The data were extracted from systematic reviews and, in areas poorly covered by them, from single studies. There will be periodic updates to include new studies.

WHO Global Health Estimates provide global, regional and national homicide rates. These are based on analysis of national information about mortality and cause distributions available as of mid-2020.

The WHO Global status report on violence prevention 2014 provides information on what countries reported about the existence of national actions plans, social and educational policies, specific laws, prevention programmes, and services for victims.

Results from the WHO Global status on preventing violence against children 2020 have not been included in this update of Violence Info but results can be viewed by clicking the link.

Further Resources
Acknowledgements

Violence Info benefitted from the contributions of several WHO staff. Stephanie Burrows and Alexander Butchart at WHO’s Prevention of Violence Unit coordinate and manage the project. Etienne Krug provided strategic direction. Other WHO staff that contributed include Elena Altieri, Daniel Hogan, Andrew Pattison, Claire Scheurer and Gretchen Stevens.

Christopher Mikton (WHO) initiated the project, and together with Mark Bellis (Bangor University and Public Health Wales) conceptualized Violence Info. Nadia Butler and Zara Quigg (Liverpool John Moores University) were responsible for developing the methodology, and manage ongoing extraction and preparation of the data. Alex Serafini produced the specially commissioned banner photographs. Interactive Things Design Studio developed the data visualizations and designed the website.

The World Health Organization thanks the Public Health Agency of Canada, UBS Optimus Foundation, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for their generous financial support for the development of this website.

Contact
Prevention of Violence Unit
Department of Social Determinants of Health
World Health Organization
20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland
violenceinfo@who.int
Disclaimer
Unless otherwise indicated, none of the figures in Violence Info are WHO estimates. Definitions of interpersonal violence and its different forms are from WHO documents. While hyperlinks to the source pages of studies are provided, the full text of many is available only by subscription to scientific journals. Examples of strategies and specific interventions have been chosen for illustrative purposes, and their inclusion in Violence Info does not mean that WHO endorses them.

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on maps do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted and dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement.

Data source: Natural Earth Data
Map production: Interactive Things
World Health Organization
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