Prevalence of interpersonal violence in Colombia (2015–2023)
Keywords:
violence, interpersonal violence, health statistics, epidemiology, public healthAbstract
The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of interpersonal violence in Colombia during the 2015–2023 period. A descriptive study was conducted, involving a secondary analysis of open-access databases containing cases of interpersonal violence handled by the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, as well as those reported to the Institute’s information systems by the health sector. 65.9% of the cases occurred between 2015 and 2019, and 38.65% occurred on weekends. 32.47% of cases occur between 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. Both victims and perpetrators are typically men. More than 80% of interpersonal violence cases require medical leave ranging from 1 to 30 days. Associations were found between the year, month, day, and time of day of the incident; the department, setting, activity, and circumstances during the incident; and the sociodemographic characteristics of the victims. It is concluded that interpersonal violence in Colombia is concentrated among young men and adults, in public spaces, and during times of social leisure, highlighting the need to strengthen preventive strategies focused on urban contexts and periods of higher risk.
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