>> We hear reports of violence in our communities and in the world almost daily
from breaking news stories to social media feeds or incidents
that occur in our own neighborhoods.
The question "Why would someone hurt others?"
applies to them all.
So why? Unfortunately, there's no easy answer.
There's no single reason that explains why some people behave violently when others do not
or why violence is more common in some communities than in others.
It's about how individuals relate to those around them and their broader environment.
CDC uses a four-level social-ecological model
to better understand the factors that influence violence.
>> All of us live in what people call an "ecology."
There's us as individuals and surrounding us is our family and friends at one level.
We live in communities and that surrounds us at another level.
And then on another level, the whole society surrounds us.
>> The social-ecological model is not new.
It has been used since the late 1970s to explain many public health issues including violence.
The model allows us to explore the dynamic relationships
between people and their environment.
The four-level model includes the individual level, the relationship level,
the community level, and the societal level.
In violence prevention, the social-ecological model has two purposes.
First, it helps us understand the factors that put people at risk for violence as well
as the ones that protect them from violence.
These risk and protective factors are identified at each level of the model.
This information helps program planners better focus their prevention efforts.
>> The social-ecological model really serves as a reminder that we need to look
at individual-level risks, including things like impulse control, personality factors,
individual-level motivations, but we need to look beyond individual-level risk
and protective factors to those factors that are operating within families, within peer groups,
within schools and other social structures within communities as well
as larger social factors like the media, like policies that are in place
within cities and within communities.
>> The second purpose of the social-ecological model provides us
with a framework for prevention.
In order to prevent violence, we need to be sure that prevention efforts are taking place
across multiple levels of the model.
>> It's changing the way we look at the world.
If you look at it one individual at a time, you're going to be able
to help one individual, one person at a time.
If you take a population view, you might be surprised at some
of the benefits that we could accrue.
>> Let's take a closer look at each level of the social-ecological model and how factors
at each level can influence violence.
The individual level of the social-ecological model focuses on personal experiences,
histories, and characteristics that make up who we are as, you got it, individuals.
At this level, we consider things such as age, education, employment, attitudes and beliefs
about violence, how people manage their emotions, whether they have used drugs
or alcohol, or whether they have witnessed violence in their homes and neighborhoods
as potential factors that can influence violent behavior.
The relationship level focuses on how our personal interactions with peers, friends,
intimate partners or dating partners, and other caring adults along
with our family environments influence violent behavior.
At this level, we look at family communication and conflict, relationship instabilities,
parenting practices, and associations with delinquent peers as potential factors
that can influence violent behavior.
The community level explores the places where common social interactions occur such as
in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Here we examine how the characteristics of these settings increase the risks
for or protect people from violence.
Community-level characteristics can include poverty, unemployment,
the amount of violence taking place in neighborhoods, the availability of safe
and affordable places to live, learn, work, and play, and neighborhood support and cohesion.
In schools and workplaces, it includes attention to safety and security as well as policies
and procedures to protect people from violence.
The societal level refers to the broad societal factors that help create a climate
in which violence is encouraged or discouraged.
Larger societal factors also include the health, economic, educational, and social policies
that help to maintain or lessen economic and social inequality between groups in society.
>> The societal level affects all the other levels of the social-ecological model.
So if we can change, this is really powerful, if we can change values and norms we hold
with regard to violence at the societal level, it will permeate all these other relationships.
>> Now let's review some basic information about the social-ecological model which serves
as the foundation for our violence prevention training.
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