An ad hoc committee will be appointed to plan a 2-day public workshop to explore the means or methods to commit certain types of violence that result in life-threatening events or death. The scope will include means of both interpersonal and self-directed violence including firearms, pesticides, and other lethal means. The workshop discussions will focus on the characteristics, contextual variations, and social determinants of the means of violence; what is known about the effectiveness of efforts to prevent and mitigate such violence; and the role of multiple sectors and stakeholders in its prevention. Some of the topics that will be examined reflect priority areas identified by the 2013 IOM/NRC report, Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence. To these ends, the workshop will feature invited presentations and discussions to explore the following questions:
1) Globally, what are the characteristics of and variations in the means used to commit interpersonal and self-directed violence? What is the role of social determinants in the demand for and use of lethal means of violence?
2) What is the current state of knowledge on youth possession and acquisition of lethal means, and how can current knowledge inform future research and prevention efforts?
3) What is the relationship between alcohol, lethal means, and violence? What is the current state of knowledge about the effects of alcohol policy on the mitigation of violence committed through lethal means?
4) Do interventions that prevent access to lethal means to individuals who have been formally identified as being at-risk for committing violence show promise in preventing or mitigating violent acts?
5) What are the roles of technology in the prevention and mitigation of violence committed through lethal means?
6) What are the collaborative opportunities for stakeholder communities, including public health, public safety, and social service providers, to improve the prevention of violence committed through lethal means?
Three commissioned-papers will be drafted ahead of the workshop that address questions 2, 3, and 4 (one paper to address each question). These papers will be presented at the workshop and discussed among panelists and the participants. The final papers will be published as part of the workshop summary.
The committee, supported by the staff of the Forum on Global Violence Prevention, will develop the workshop agenda, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. Experts will be drawn from the public and private sectors as well as from academic organizations to allow for multisectoral, evidence-based discussions. An individually-authored summary of the presentations and discussions at the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.