The role of fear in violence globally is complex and important. As our understanding of global violence advances, so has awareness of the deleterious effects of exposure to fear on human development and on exacerbating collective violence. Fear can also motivate positive and individual and collective changes. Prevention efforts can benefit from better understanding the many ways fear can influence violence. On a biological level, the impacts of fear itself and fear of violence have unique consequences, such as epigenetic and endocrine alterations. On a sociological level, culture and the media influence perceptions (and misperceptions) around fear of violence, which influence how humans assess and define threats in their environment. Such assessments may lead to greater clarity around fear of violence to help individuals and communities develop resilience, while other assessments may lead to fears that are less founded and may increase violence and fear of the other. Now more than ever, as the world faces a COVID-19 pandemic crisis that is globally increasing fear of violence, we are called upon to develop a better understanding of how to manage, reduce, and prevent fear of violence. The Forum on Global Violence Prevention of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene a two day workshop focused on: 1. The biological impacts of fear and trauma on the body system 2. How perception/misperception, culture, and the media influence fear in relationship to violence 3. Prevalent forms of fear of violence at the individual/interpersonal level, which include: -- Abuse of disabled individuals, children (including corporeal punishment), and elders -- Racism and xenophobia (e.g., fear of police violence and fear of interpersonal conflict from bigotry). The workshop will include both those in police studies who design and/or provide police trainings to mitigate racial bias and researchers who help to attenuate the effects of racism in minority communities. -- Fear of intrusion (e.g. active shooters, break-ins) and the resulting consequences of increased firearms ownership -- Sex-gender based violence, including intimate partner violence 4. Intervention strategies at the individual, interpersonal, and community levels that attenuate fear of violence, its resulting trauma, and/or directly address the violence that is stoking the fear. The audience for this workshop includes researchers, behavioral and biological science practitioners, criminal justice professionals, social service providers, fire arm injury prevention specialists, public health interventionists, and policymakers who are looking to expand their understanding of the relationship between fear and violence and existing intervention strategies to manage, reduce, or prevent it. Participants in this workshop will advance their understanding of the complex role of fear in influencing violence and will learn state-of-the-art approaches to addressing fear in prevention approaches. About the Global Violence Prevention Forum The Global Violence Prevention Forum aims to facilitate dialogue and exchange by bringing together experts from diverse areas of violence prevention, including: behavioral scientists, policy makers, criminal justice professionals, social service providers, economists, legal experts, journalists, philanthropists, faith-based organizations, and corporate social responsibility officers. In keeping with the overall goal of the Forum to reduce the burden of violence and promote the healthy development of individuals and communities, the Forum opens up potential for prevention in all parts of the world. This workshop is free and open to the public. | |