A Violence Prevention Strategy for Scotland Lucy Denvir Chair of Violence Prevention Public Health group

‘Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.’ World Health Organisation (WHO) definition of violence

WHO Violence Prevention Unit Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Global Plan of Action to prevent interpersonal violence 2016 Violence Info Violence Prevention Evidence Base and Resources

SDG TARGETS 2015 5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls 16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere 16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against children (INSPIRE 2016) ....................

Some Global Facts 1.4 million deaths per year as a result of violence Almost half a million people are murdered each year 1 in 2 children have experienced violence in the last year

Violence mainly impacts young economically productive people Violence affects hundreds of millions of people The impacts of violence are broad (physical, psychological ....) Preventing violence is an issue across the lifecourse

‘Health Promotion is Peace Promotion’

Types of Violence Violence against / maltreatment of children Homicide Intimate partner and sexual violence Youth Violence Elder / disabled person abuse Collective / intercommunal violence Self-directed Violence

Risk Factors Poverty Inequality Movement of People Judicial or Political Corruption Cultural Norms ACEs Challenges of personal and social identity Social isolation

A Public Health Issue? Significant public health and human rights issue Violence is Infectious Violence is Predictable and Preventable- not inevitable Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention Ecological approach – individual, relationship, community and society levels of risk and protective factors

What works? Development of safe, stable and nurturing relationships between children and their parents and caregivers Developing life skills in children and adolescents Reducing the availability and harmful use of substances / alcohol Reducing access to lethal means (eg guns / knives) Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women Changing cultural and social norms that support violence Victim identification, care and support programmes

Today - in Scotland? Intelligence – what do we know? Prevention – what works? Is there scope and enthusiasm to develop further opportunities for collaboration and partnership working? Can we build a truly shared ‘public health’ violence prevention strategy for Scotland?