The United States has the highest homicide rate among industrialized countries; and females, infants, and children are at particularly high risk of nonfatal injuries from domestic assault. A person's odds of dying by interpersonal violence (excluding suicide, war, or acts of law enforcement) are 1 in 496 for white females, 1 in 205 for white males, 1 in 117 for black females, and 1 in 27 for black males. prevention of violence requires improving the recognition, referral, and treatment of people at high risk; empowering communities to address the problem effectively; broadening training at all levels for violence prevention; improving our monitoring of the problem; and improving program evaluation. Firearm violence and violence associated with alcohol and other drugs should receive special emphasis. Efforts should also focus on promoting childhood experiences associated with violence prevention. Research indicates that although television, movies, and other media have contributed to the problem of youth violence, the media clearly also has the potential and the responsibility to become part of the solution. The Federal Government should take leadership in addressing this problem. List of other speakers and 9 references