Another Weekend Homicide in Tuscaloosa . . .
Another Weekend Homicide in Tuscaloosa . . .
Death and injuries from violence causes a major public health problem here in Tuscaloosa and West Alabama. Significant variations in the extent of this problem exist within and between areas of Tuscaloosa and West Alabama. There exist a broad range of viable strategies for preventing violence, some of which have been shown to be particularly effective. However, no single strategy is on its own likely to be sufficient to reduce the health burden of youth and adult violence. Instead, multiple concurrent approaches will be needed and they will need to be relevant to the specific place where they are implemented. What is successful in preventing violence in Birmingham, Atlanta, or Memphis, will not necessarily work here in Tuscaloosa and West Alabama.
Over the past decade or so, much has been learned about the nature and causes of violence and how to prevent it. This knowledge, although based primarily on research has provided a foundation from which to develop successful programs to prevent youth and adult violence. I will admit that there is much more to be learned about prevention. Based upon the current level of knowledge, the following suggestion, if implemented, should lead to greater understanding and more effective prevention of youth and adult violence.
Develop data collection systems
The development of data collection systems for routine monitoring of trends in violent behavior, in injuries and in deaths should form the basis of prevention efforts. Such data should provide valuable information for formulating public policies and programs to lessen and even prevent youth and adult violence, and for evaluating them. Simple approaches to the surveillance of youth and adult violence are desperately needed so that they can be applied to a wide range of cultural settings.
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