>> In the first part of our training, we learned what violence means
and how we can all have a hand in preventing its occurrence.
We learned about the burden violence places on society, and that prevention is the key
to helping people live to their fullest potential
so our communities are healthy and safe.
We also learned that CDC takes a public health approach toward violence prevention.
When addressing violence prevention, CDC embraces the guiding principles
of public health, those of preventing disease and injury,
prolonging life, and promoting health.
Keeping this in mind, we will now explore CDC's systematic four step public health approach
to violence prevention.
Step one is to define the problem we are facing.
This involves collecting data to determine who is experiencing violence,
how many people are affected, when and where violence happens, and how often it occurs.
When step one is completed, you should have answers to who, what, when, where, and how.
These data may also reveal trends so you can see what is happening to the problem over time.
Data to describe the problem can be collected using surveys,
interviews, focus groups, or other methods.
Or data can also be collected from existing sources.
For example, police reports, coroner files, hospital records, and existing surveys.
We refer, again, to the problem in the story "The Fence and the Ambulance."
Here are why sage identified the problem.
People were falling off the cliff, and the current response, providing an ambulance,
did not prevent people from falling and being injured.
Step two of the public health approach helps to answer the question why.
Why does one person experience violence while another does not?
Why does someone harm another person?
Why are some communities more vulnerable to violence than others?
During this second step, you will identify risk and protective factors, which help us determine
where prevention efforts need to be focused.
A risk factor increases the likelihood that someone will experience violence.
However, just because a risk factor is present does not mean a person will definitely
experience violence.
As we mentioned before, violence results from a combination of many factors.
It is also important to remember that regardless of the presence of risk factors,
victims are never responsible for the harm done to them.
A protective factor acts as a buffer against risk.
Protective factors promote health by decreasing the likelihood of violence.
After identifying them, you'll have a better idea of where to focus your prevention efforts.
Again, the why sage from "The Fence and the Ambulance" concluded
after conducting a thorough investigation that the cliff needed to be secured
with a fence to keep people from falling.
An unsecured cliff was a risk, while a fence served as a protective factor.
The goal of prevention is to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors.
It's also important to note that risk and protective factors can apply
to both victims and perpetrators.
Step three involves developing, implementing
and evaluating prevention programs, practices, and policies.
Before developing a new program or policy, you should determine if effective programs
or policies have already been identified.
Some areas of violence research are further along than others.
For example, the fields of youth violence and child abuse
and neglect prevention have benefited from decades of research.
A thorough and rigorous evaluation is the only way to know for sure
if your program or policy really works.
You may be trying to determine if your policy or program is effective in preventing violence
or whether certain programs or policies will work better than others in your community.
This is one of the most difficult steps of the public health model.
Once you have your findings, you will probably want to share them with others
through journal articles, reports, and presentations.
Others can benefit from your experience, and this will help advance the field more quickly.
Step four is to assure widespread adoption.
Once programs are proven effective, they should be disseminated broadly.
Effective programs may require additional support as they are implemented
in new settings or among different populations.
This may include training, monitoring, and technical assistance
to support effective implementation.
Additional assessments to determine which components can be adjusted
and which ones must be delivered as originally developed may be necessary.
It's an ongoing process to keep your efforts sustainable
and meet the needs of diverse populations.
For steps and resources, check out our other vital violence trainings and tools.
>> Violence is a public health problem
because of the enormous burden it puts on the health of the country.
>> The notion that we can do something
about violence before it becomes a criminal problem is firmly embed it
in the public health approach.
>> What public health brings is really a proactive response to violence,
trying to address it before it occurs, trying to prevent that initial event of violence
from occurring in the first place.
>> Now it's time to apply the lessons we've learned
from all five modules in a few short review quizzes.
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