Injury is the leading cause of years of potential life lost in the United States, and one third of all fatal injuries are a result of intentional injuries or violence. Today, public health officials have identified violence as comparable in importance and impact to such previous epidemics as smallpox, tuberculosis, and syphilis. This volume offers a landmark assessment of the problem of violence from a public health perspective. Its aims is both to describe what is known about violence in our society, and to lead the way towards involving health professionals in both analysis and action. The authors, all internationally known experts in their fields, examine child, spouse, and elder abuse; sexual assault and rape; suicide; assaultive violence; and homicide. To each topic they bring an analysis of key issues in epidemiology, causal and risk factors, outcomes, and interventions. This timely work will be a valuable resource for public health professionals, criminologists, sociologists, social workers, educators, and all those concerned with violence in our communities.