General Description: Many argue that we live in a violent society. Indeed, people from all walks of life are subject to many forms of violence. We are bombarded daily with information and images that continually remind us about the potential threat of violence in our lives. Not surprisingly, then, violence continues to be a prominent individual, social, legal and political concern. It is recognized that violence is the result of the complex interplay of many factors and, as such, no one factor will adequately explain, for example, why some individuals behave violently toward others or why violence may be more prevalent in some communities or countries? Adopting the public health approach to violence and its prevention, this course will use the ecological model to critically evaluate theory, research and public policy. The ecological model seeks to understand how individual, relationship, community and societal factors, both separately and together, are related to violence and its prevention.

Course Objectives: The key objectives of this course are: (1) To define what we mean by violence; (2) To provide a brief overview of the prevalence of various forms of violence; (3) To critically assess evidence from research as it relates to various interpretations or explanations for violence; (4) To identify and compare violence prevention initiatives at the individual, family, community and societal level; and, ultimately, (5) To determine where we are at with respect to our efforts to prevent interpersonal violence.

Required readings: All readings available on Ares Course Reserve.

Proposed Evaluation: [Subject to change] Participation (20%); Discussion Lead (10%); Literature Review/Proposal (20%); Documentary review (20%); Research Paper (30%)