Violence and fear of violence are major factors that undermine health and worsen health disparities, and this new UNITY publication describes violence and lack of safety as a health equity issue. This fact sheet, “Links Between Violence and Health Equity,” demonstrates how preventing violence is an important component of any effort to achieve health equity and create healthy, thriving communities.
Violence is a health inequity in and of itself—it affects young people of color and those living in low-income areas more than other groups—and it creates a climate of fear that restricts healthy behaviors, weakens community ties, and discourages economic development and investment. Preventing violence has tremendous value, not just by saving money and lives, but also as a means to foster well-being, promote health equity, and strengthen communities. Learn more by reading this fact sheet, part of the Making the Case series.
UNITY is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the CDC’s national youth violence prevention initiative, Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere (STRYVE), and in part by The Kresge Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF). Created in 1992 as an independent, private foundation, TCWF’s mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness, education and disease prevention programs. For more information, visit www.preventioninstitute.org/unity.