AOTA’s Societal Statement on Community Violence

Abstract

Community violence affects day-to-day life, occupational performance, community engagement, and morale, and it has long-standing detrimental effects on the quality of life of individuals, communities, and organizations. Occupational therapy practitioners can improve individual or group interpersonal skills by developing awareness of how the client or group interacts with others and practicing learned skills to decrease community violence.

AOTA’s new position statement affirms that occupational therapy can improve individual or group interpersonal skills by developing awareness of how the client or group interacts with others and by practicing learned skills to decrease community violence.

Community violence, or violence between two unrelated individuals, includes assaults, fights, and gun violence. In the United States, community violence is associated with more than 1 million hospitalizations and nearly 20,000 deaths annually. Young adults (15–34 years) are the most affected group, experiencing more than half of all homicides. In 2019, 1.5 million people were treated for assault in emergency rooms in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021).

Community violence impacts the overall health outcomes and quality of life of every member in the respective community and is influenced by social determinants of health (SDOH). Healthy People 2030 defines SDOH as “conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.). Limited access to resources contributes to social inequities and an increased risk of health disparities and community violence (The White House, 2021). Community violence affects day-to-day life, occupational performance, community engagement, and morale, and it has long-standing detrimental effects on the quality of life of individuals, communities, and organizations. Living in a community with consistent levels of violence can lead to increased unhealthy behaviors, decreased educational performance, chronic diseases, and cumulative long-term trauma that affects community stakeholders for far longer than the incident itself.

Occupational therapy practitioners assist communities from a social development perspective. The goal of occupational therapy is to develop individual and group interpersonal skills by focusing on skills used every day when communicating and interacting with other people, both individually and in groups. Personal skills development strategies for clients include a wide range of approaches, including perspective development and a focus on self-awareness, social support system development, role identity, and role engagement, in particular on communication skills such as listening, resolving conflict, speaking effectively, and controlling and managing one’s emotions. Occupational therapy practitioners can improve individual or group interpersonal skills by developing awareness of how the client or group interacts with others and practicing learned skills to decrease community violence.

The American Occupational Therapy Association is committed to empowering occupational therapy practitioners with the necessary knowledge and skills to support their clients and their caregivers who may be affected by community violence.