Aiming for the Right Thing: Collaboration for Armed Violence Prevention

1. Aiming for the Right Thing: Collaboration for Armed Violence Prevention Dr David Meddings Department of Injuries and Violence Prevention World Health Organization

2. Violence is socially determined, and the prevention of violence requires acting on social determinants Acting on social determinants requires collaboration

3. “Fundamentally, little of this is genuinely new. Rather, the picture emerging from social epidemiology and research on violence and inequality is a rediscovery of a truth that many people once recognized intuitively. Hard data and statistical analysis now show that inequality is indeed socially corrosive.” Richard Wilkinson. Why is Violence More Common Where Inequality is Greater? Wilkinson R. Why is Violence More Common Where Inequality is Greater? Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1036: 1–12 (2004). 2004 New York Academy of Sciences.

4. Over first 24 months: Estimated 273 murders averted (95% CI, 208 - 338) Estimated 216 assaults on women averted Prevention of Murders in Diadema, Brazil: The Influence of New Alcohol Policies. The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. October, 2004. Diadema, Brazil: Alcohol sales Municipal law (no alcohol sales after 23h) Public education/participation Alcohol retailer education Active, equitable, honest enforcement Progressive administrative penalties

5. Relative to controls youth at age 18: 12% increase in school completion 19% reduction in lifetime violence 19% reduction in lifetime sex partners 38% reduction in heavy alcohol use Hawkins JD et al. In TP Thornberry and MD Krohn (Eds). Taking Stock of Delinquency. An overview of findings from contemporary longitudinal studies. New York. Plenum 2003. Social skill development Early childhood intervention Teacher training classroom management Parent training behaviour management Child social and emotional skill development

7. Ecological model and violence prevention: entry points and interventions Adapted from Mercy JA, Mack KA, Steenkamp M. Changing the social environment to prevent injuries. In Doll LS, Bonzo SE, Mercy JA, Sleet DA. (eds.) Handbook of Injury and Violence Prevention. New York, NY: Springer, 2006.

8. Ecological model and violence prevention: entry points and interventions Adapted from Mercy JA, Mack KA, Steenkamp M. Changing the social environment to prevent injuries. In Doll LS, Bonzo SE, Mercy JA, Sleet DA. (eds.) Handbook of Injury and Violence Prevention. New York, NY: Springer, 2006.

9. 10 “best buys” in violence prevention: • Increase safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and their parents • Reduce availability and misuse of alcohol • Reduce access to lethal means • Improve life skills and enhance opportunities for children and youth • Promote gender equality and empower women

10. 10 “best buys” in violence prevention: • Change cultural norms that support violence • Improve criminal justice systems • Improve social welfare systems • Reduce social distance between conflicting groups • Reduce economic inequality and concentrated poverty.

11. Balancing the desirability for greater coordination with the reality of differing perspectives, mandates, and orientations to addressing the problem of armed violence. • Mobilising resources for cross-sectoral/inter-organisational armed violence prevention initiatives. • Developing more effective learning models which bridge gaps across levels and between normative and programme practice environments. • Finding a common perspective through which armed violence prevention can be considered and approached. Challenges to collaboration: