Clinicians’ need for an ecological approach to violence reduction

Abstract

We now know that harmful social policies, such as those that deny health care to some people, can generate structural violence and be far more harmful than any type of direct violence. A health professional who engages in public health promotion must thus consider the adverse effects of structural violence generated by bad policies. On this view, the dictum, “first, do no harm,” can be interpreted as a mandate to protect patients from injustice. Health care professionals’ responsibilities extend to motivating policies that prevent avoidable deaths and disabilities. As we exist within an ecology, we must each recognize our responsibility to care for one another and for the larger human community.