Violence Prevention in Practice

selecting a mix where you can make a difference

Hexagon icon titled 'Consider the Evidence'

Hexagon icon titled 'Select a Mix of Strategies'

Hexagon icon titled 'Identify a Set of Approaches'

Hexagon icon titled 'Choose the Policies, Practices and Programs'

Preventing violence comprehensively calls for multiple strategies that address the underlying risk and protective factors for violence that affect people, their relationships and communities, and society as a whole. CDC’s Resources for Action are designed to span these different levels of the social-ecological model. The strategies and approaches within these resources work together and reinforce each other.

The goal is to select strategies and approaches where you can make a difference and to work with other sectors and community partners in ways that advance the prevention of violence. The graphic below illustrates the major considerations in selecting the strategies and approaches that are a good fit for your community.

Relevant?

Address a community’s prioritized risk factors and protective factors across the social ecology.
Collaborate with community members and participants to identify opportunities for your sector and how to bring in other sectors.
Drive desired outcomes in one or more types of violence.

Appropriate?

Effective?

Address a community’s prioritized risk factors and protective factors across the social ecology.
Identify opportunities for your sector and ways to bring in other sectors.
Drive desired outcomes in one or more types of violence.

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State and local agencies make informed decisions by taking into account contextual evidence, experiential evidence and the best available research evidence:

Contextual evidence addresses whether a strategy is useful, feasible to implement, and accepted by a particular community. Consider the history of implementation of similar strategies and approaches in similar communities and contexts.
Experiential evidence uses professional insight, understanding, skill, and expertise accumulated over time.
Research evidence enables practitioners to determine whether a prevention policy, practice, or program achieves desired outcomes in the way it intends.

Look for Understanding Evidence in Resources.

CDC’s Resources for Action present information indicating that these strategies and approaches are effective, based on impacts on violence outcomes or risk and protective factors for violence. Contextual and experiential evidence are also important to consider when selecting strategies and approaches.

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Strategies & Approaches

selecting a mix where you can make a difference

Consider the Evidence

Select a Mix of Strategies that Address Priority Risk and Protective Factors

Identify Approaches that Work Together to Advance Selected Strategies

Choose the Policies, Practices and Programs that Support the Identified Approaches