Articles/stories that deal with violence.
The gross majority of injuries in the United States are unintentional, but some injuries are intentional, inflicted upon one individual by another. Locate three articles/stories that deal with violence.
For each article,
Provide a two-sentence summary along with the link to the article/story.
Identify and describe the victim and the perpetrator.
Identify what you feel was the underlying cause of the violence.
Offer a suggestion as to how the violence could have been avoided or prevented.
Propose an idea on how public health could become involved in preventing future violence in your area.
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.
Sample Solution
Article 1:
This article by the Washington Post focuses on a drive-by shooting in Chicago which left two people dead; a 12 year old boy and 18 year old female. The victims were standing outside of a convenience store when they were struck by multiple bullets from an unknown assailant with bystanders indicating the suspect fled in vehicle after opening fire (Washington Post 2020). The victim in this case was identified as Victor Hugo Gonzalez and the perpetrator has yet to be determined at this time.
The underlying cause of violence in these types of situations is typically difficult to ascertain but could be attributed to long standing rivalries or tensions between competing gangs within certain neighborhoods resulting in retaliatory violence towards perceived threats or transgressions (Gagne & LeBlanc 2019).
Source:
Washington Post (2020) “Chicago Drive-By Shooting Kills 12-Year-Old Boy, 18-Year Old Woman” Web Accessed November 19th 2020 https://wwwwashingtonpostcom/nation//chicagodrivebyshootingkills12yearoldboy18yearoldwomanhtml.
Article 2:
This article by CNN details an incident where a man randomly attacked another individual with pepper spray for no apparent reason while crossing the street. The victim suffered minor injuries as result but managed to get away from attacker who was subsequently apprehended shortly afterwards (CNN 2020). The victim was identified as an unnamed bystander while the perpetrator has been identified as 24 year old Patrick Landera who was later charged with assault for his actions.
The underlying cause of such random acts of violence may be due to mental health issues or substance abuse problems leading perpetrators towards becoming disinhibited and prone towards lashing out against others without provocation.(DeLisi et al 2018).
Source:
CNN(2020) “Man Sprays Stranger With Pepper Spray For No Apparent Reason In San Francisco Area” Web Accessed November 19th 2020 https://wwwcnncom//us/manpepperspraystrangerfrisco_trnd/.
Article 3:
This article by NBC News covers an altercation between two men at a bar which resulted one person being shot several times. According to witnesses the altercation began over something seemingly trivial before escalating into physical confrontation; eventually culminating gun shots being fired leaving one man injured while other fled scene on foot (NBC News 2021). The victim has been identified As 32 year old male named John Smith and based off surveillance footage it appears that suspect is known acquaintance whom he had prior disagreements with previously implying that this event may have been premeditated rather than spontaneous.
The underlying cause behind such targeted acts of violence can often vary but financial disputes, jealousy or other personal grievances are often cited motivations especially when involving individuals who know each other well enough share some type of history together.(Halsey & Siddiquee 2016).
