CDC launches interactive online resource to educate about violence prevention

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a new online resource to help educate about violence prevention.

The online tool, Community HealthSim, is part of the CDC's VetoViolence programme which provides training, tips and tools via a website on violence prevention. 

The new tool is designed as an interactive simulation. Users visit a simulated city called Vetoville and decide how to spend resources to improve community issues. Then the simulation demonstrates how those decisions affect the long term community well-being of Vetoville. 

Through the simulation, users are introduced to the connections between violence and impacts on health, business, education and public safety. Web links are provided for more information and research as well as actions communities can take to prevent violence. 

The key focus of the resource is to help people understand how violence impacts other sectors and the importance of preventing violence to benefit the wider community well-being. The tool may be useful to school students.