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

2. ‘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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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

6. 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

9. ‘Health Promotion is Peace Promotion’

13. 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

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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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?