Abstract

This article seeks to present some reflections about violence and its impact upon Health Services and quality of life. It starts with a critical comment about points of view giving a sense of absoluteness to violence by considering it an ahistorical process beyond conscience and society. Secondly, it alerts to the epistemological and practical risk of reductionism occurring in the health sector, dealing with the phenomenon as it were an epidemic, that is, considering violenceas a "disease". It shows that the phenomenon is much more complex than that. Violence is a social problem, a thermometer and an indicator for the quality of life. This text includes some general data and calls attention to the possibility of sectorial and intersectorial actions.