What more do we need to know for a world without violence?

Violence, a universal health issue, presents serious implications for general health and interpersonal relations. Roots of violence appear in early childhood and instances of extreme violence may become apparent in adolescence. Serious antisocial behavior in adolescence is a predictor of violence in later age. Risk factors for violent behavior could be categorized as individual and environmental. Environmental risk factors can be familial, social, and chemical environmental. Maltreatment in childhood is an important predictor of violent behavior in later age. The presence of mental illness is another important predictor of violence. Contemporary television has a visual and auditory power to promote violence with all its elements. Computers are another field where children confront violence. For identification of individuals who have an increased propensity or susceptibility, for violent behavior, research has suggested that polymorphisms related to certain genes might be important. However, we should emphasize that the expression of such behavior would always depend on interactions between various genes, environmental factors, and genetic-environmental interactions. Experiments in rhesus monkeys have shown that optimal early social experiences might overcome the deleterious effects of susceptible alleles. The effective prevention of violence should consist of interventions that aim to reduce the number of risk factors during early childhood, such as home visitation programs and giving individuals the skills and opportunities for engaging in positive behaviors during school years and adolescence, coupled with the identification of new barriers and reassessment of needs.