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injury and violence prevention (ivp) branch

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The Impact of Violence on California

In 2017, there were nearly 6,500 violent deaths among California residents (4,323 suicides and 2,113 homicides).  Non-fatal violence-related injuries also resulted in over 20,000 hospitalizations and over 171,000 emergency department visits.  But, deaths and injures due to violence are only the "tip of the iceberg" of harm to individuals, families, and communities. * 

Tip of the Iceberg Chart

​​The immediate, lasting, and multigenerational effects of violence ultimately influence society as a whole.  As a result of violence, medical and criminal justice costs increase, economic investments decrease, and employment and educational opportunities are lost.  In addition, communities of color are disproportionately impacted; concentrated, segregated areas of poverty grow; and community resilience and trust is diminished resulting in persistent inequities.

Disparities

Though violence affects all Californians, the occurrence and impact is not equally distributed.  There are significant disparities and inequities in the burden of and exposure to violence across socioeconomic and population demographics and across communities.

Disparities Grid

*For a complete list of references for the content on this webpage, please see the following report: "Preventing Violence in California, Volume 1: The Role of Public Health (PDF)"

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