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SUMMARY :
Objective : since January 1998, a short term management is offered by the Interdisciplinary Consultation of Medicine and Prevention of Violence at the University Hospital of Geneva. In this framework, an original database is presented that allows to systematically collect medical, psychological, social and forensic data. This database aims to evaluate the impact of violence on the health status of the victims (and the offenders) as well as to determine the immediate risks they run. It also allows to identify their specific needs in terms of counselling or orientation. Method : This database has been elaborated from the literature about victimology, humanitarian medicine, disaster medicine, psychiatry and expertal medicine. These different areas of medicine have studied the consequences of violence, notably the post traumatic stress disorders, and take into account the experience of associations for help and defence of victims'rights.

Collected data include :
- personal and general informations about the patient ;
- description of the violent event and of its impact on the patient (and on other potential victims) ;
- data about the abuser ;
- informations on past record of violence ;
- data aiming at evaluating vulnerability factors and coping resources of the victim, as well as his/her global health status (physical, mental and social).

Forensic data may be collected. This assessment is supported by information collected by means of psychometrical scales (Beck Hopelesness scale, Horowitz Impact of Event scale).

Conclusion : Beyond its clinical utility, which needs further evaluation, this database should allow to better identify the typology of violence, its risk and resilience factors and to estimate its impact on public health.