Question

Define interpersonal violence/abuse and consent and provides strategies for prevention, how to recognize signs, how they can intervene, and how to properly obtain consent.

Answer 1

Ans) Interpersonal violence can go unchecked for far too long, either because the victim feels paralyzed or because those closest don’t know how to help. There are a number of ways to be a positive force and empower victims to find higher ground, including:

• Be Supportive:

- Help the victim see that it is not their fault, remind them they are not alone, and offer support to find resources and professional advice. Above all, victims need to know that someone out there cares and sees they are not being treated properly.

• Be aware:

- If you’re in an unfamiliar space, make note of any public spaces or businesses open 24 hours a day should you need assistance.

• Trust yourself:
- Do you feel unsafe in any way? Trust your feelings. Leave. It’s always best to go with your instincts in these situations.

• Speak up:
- If you find yourself in a questionable situation, get loud. Alert those around you to any feelings of fear.

- Interpersonal violence is the leading cause of death and injury in adolescents. Youths exposed to multiple risks factors and/or who have few protective factors are notably more likely than others to engage in interpersonal violence. The odds of violence in youths exposed to more than five risk factors compared with the odds of violence in youths exposed to fewer than two risk factors at each age were 7 times greater than those at age 10 years, 10 times greater than those at age 14 years, and nearly 11 times greater than those at age 16 years.

- Although the overall accuracy in predicting youths who will go on to commit violent acts is limited, there is growing evidence that it is possible to identify youths who possess certain attitudes or behaviors or who are in environments or situations that increase their risk for being a perpetrator of youth violence.

- Identification of youths who possess certain risk and/or protective factors may increase or decrease the likelihood of youths who are at risk for various types of violence perpetration. Understanding these risk and protective factors may help primary care providers identify various opportunities to incorporate screening questions to identify youths at risk for youth violence perpetration and to identify community resources for referring youths who possess these traits.