Make the Case: Violence is Preventable
- Fact Sheet: Public Health Contributions to Preventing Violence Looking to prevent violence and not just react after the fact? This UNITY fact sheet highlights how public health adds value to any effort to address violence and complements criminal justice approaches. "Public Health Contributions to Preventing Violence" describes how public health's unique perspective and areas of expertise could strengthen local initiatives.
- Fact Sheet: Links Between Violence and Health Equity Violence and fear of violence are major factors that undermine health and worsen health disparities. This fact sheet describes violence and lack of safety as a health equity issue, and demonstrates how preventing violence is an important component of any effort to achieve health equity and create healthy communities. Learn about key public health/prevention strategies that address risk and resilience factors to prevent violence before it occurs. Preventing violence has tremendous value, not just by saving money and lives, but also as a means to foster well-being, promote health equity, and strengthen communities.
- Fact Sheets: Links Between Violence and Chronic Diseases, Mental Illness and Poor Learning Violence has far-reaching consequences for young people, families and neighborhoods, beyond serious physical injury and death. These fact sheets describe how violence affects other health problems and community concerns, such as chronic diseases, mental illness and poor learning. Children who are scared at school cannot focus on learning, for example, and people are less likely to be active if the local park isn't safe. These fact sheets were designed to persuade educators and those in health, public health and mental health that violence can undermine the work of all sectors, and that everyone should include preventing violence in their efforts. Backed by the latest research, these fact sheets make the case that preventing violence is a key aspect of any vibrant community, one where young people enjoy every opportunity to learn, thrive and excel.
- Prevent Violence for Better Public Health Dr. James Mercy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains how violence literally makes people sick, and provides recommendations for policies that can help solve the problem. Learn compelling language to persuade local leaders that preventing violence is crucial for healthy communities.
- FAQ: Why is violence a public health issue? Is violence preventable? Answers frequently asked questions on violence as a public health issue, such as: Why is violence a public health issue? Is violence preventable? What is a public health approach to preventing violence?
- Preventing Violence: A Primer Recognizing that law enforcement alone cannot solve the problem of violence, practitioners have increasingly turned toward a broader, more comprehensive approach. This document describes a framework that incorporates public health, law enforcement, social service, and education perspectives.
- Prioritized Strategies to Prevent Violence Prioritized by cities, outlines strategies on violence prevention, including primary, secondary and tertiary approaches.
- Testimony from Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, July 09 Read Deborah Prothrow-Stith's testimony on how violence is preventable, and learn more about investments in prevention that will result in lives saved, improved quality of life in highly impacted neighborhoods, improved academic outcomes, and reduced expenditures in the criminal justice and health care systems.
- Murder is no Accident: Understanding and Preventing Youth Violence by Prothrow-Stith and Spivak. Listen to excerpts of the authors talking about the book, or purchase.
- Assessment of Youth Violence Prevention Activities in USA Cities
- Shared strategies for preventing violence and promoting healthy eating and active living
- The UNITY Urban Agenda for Preventing Violence Before it Occurs: Bringing a Multi-Sector Approach to Scale in US Cities
- "Cost-Saving Prisons Aren't the California Dream—Prevention Is." Op-ed by Rachel Davis
