The Basics
It was less than 30 years ago when we began to recognize violence as a serious public health problem in the United States. Since that time, the field of violence prevention has quickly evolved. Many prevention programs and strategies have been developed and implemented across the country. There is a growing body of research on “what works” to prevent violence. Dedicated professionals have provided us with a foundation from which we can build effective prevention programs.
Starting with three key principles:
A Public Health Approach The public health approach is a systematic process that can be applied to violence and other health problems that affect populations. It helps professionals move from the problem to the solution.
A Focus On Primary Prevention Primary prevention. involves strategies that stop violence before it initially occurs. These strategies reduce the factors that put people at risk for experiencing violence. They also increase the factors that protect people or buffer them from risk.
The Social-Ecological Model There is no single factor that explains why one person experiences violence while another does not. Violence is the result of the complex interaction between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. It's called a social ecological model.
