​What is the Public Health Role in Violence Prevention?

Public health recognizes that violence is preventable and takes a primary prevention approach, working "upstream" to address underlying causes to prevent violence from happening in the first place.

The public health approach to violence prevention focuses on the following four-step process:

1. Define and monitor the problem – Analyze data such as the number of violence-related injuries and deaths.
   
   
2. Identify risk and protective factors – These can increase or decrease the likelihood of a person becoming a victim or perpetrator of violence.
   
   
3. Develop and test prevention strategies – Use data and findings from evaluation and research as an evidence-based approach to program planning.
   
   
4. Assure widespread dissemination of effective practices – Share best practices through networking, training, and technical assistance.