{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T14:08:02Z","timestamp":1785420482016,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]],"date-time":"2024-10-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728000000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Interpersonal violence is a global driver of significant physical and mental ill health. Violence prevention is now a public health priority, and there have been international calls for the development of public health approaches to address this problem. This systematic scoping review identifies the scope of the literature and characteristics of operationalised public health approaches to prevent violence in communities. Synthesising what is meant by a public health approach to violence and the characteristics of operationalised approaches will assist future intervention development. Systematic searches of published sources (published following the World Health Assembly (WHA) declaration of violence as a public problem, June 1996 to April 2023 inclusive) were completed across six leading databases. For each identified approach, and reflecting a realist-informed methodology, data were extracted under the themes of major drivers, values and principles, key components, and community involvement. Of the 43 included studies, most were conducted in high-income countries and focussed on preventing weapon-related and youth violence. The studies from middle- and low-income countries also included responses to varying sexual and gender-based violence. There is a wide variety of identified characteristics, reflecting the diversity of violent behaviours public health approaches aim to impact. Approaches included focusing on changing norms and stopping violence at the individual level, to attempts to influence wider structural prevention opportunities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph21101321","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]],"date-time":"2024-10-04T10:20:52Z","timestamp":1728037252000},"page":"1321","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Charting the Characteristics of Public Health Approaches to Preventing Violence in Local Communities: A Scoping Review of Operationalised Interventions"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Peter John","family":"Mennear","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester GL53 7AN, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2589-4939","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alison","family":"Hurst","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Relational Health Group, Department of Health and Community Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7099-159X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katrina Mary","family":"Wyatt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Relational Health Group, Department of Health and Community Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK"},{"name":"National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC), University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organisation (2023, July 25). Violence Info. Available online: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/violence-info\/."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S43","DOI":"10.1097\/PHH.0000000000001426","article-title":"A Replicable, Solution-Focused Approach to Cross-Sector Data Sharing for Evaluation of Community Violence Prevention Programming","volume":"28","author":"Mayfield","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Public Health Manag. Pract."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"World Health Assembly (2023, July 26). Forty-Ninth World Health Assembly, Geneva, 20\u201325 May 1996: Resolutions and Decisions, Annexes. Available online: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/handle\/10665\/178941."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"United Nations (2023, July 26). The Sustainable Development Goals Report. Available online: https:\/\/unstats.un.org\/sdgs\/report\/2022\/."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"World Health Organisation (2024, September 15). Violence against Women. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/violence-against-women."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Krug, E.G., Dahlberg, L.L., Mercy, J.A., Zwi, A.B., Lozano, R., and World Health Organisation (2023, July 26). World Report on Violence and Health. Available online: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/handle\/10665\/42495."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1037\/h0100984","article-title":"Why prevention? Why now?","volume":"8","author":"Tabachnick","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Behav. Consult. Ther."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hurst, A., Shaw, N., Carrieri, D., Stein, K., and Wyatt, K. (2024). Exploring the rise and diversity of health and societal issues that use a public health approach: A scoping review and narrative synthesis. PLoS Glob. Public Health, 4.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0002790"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1089\/154099904322836401","article-title":"Through a Public Health Lens. Preventing Violence against Women: An Update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","volume":"13","author":"Graffunder","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Women\u2019s Health"},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"(2023, July 26). Scottish Violence Reduction Unit. Available online: http:\/\/www.svru.co.uk\/."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Home Office (2023, July 26). Serious Violence Duty; Preventing and Reducing Serious Violence: Statutory Guidance for Responsible Authorities December, Available online: https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/639b2ec3e90e072186e1803c\/Final_Serious_Violence_Duty_Statutory_Guidance_-_December_2022.pdf."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-publhealth-031816-044451","article-title":"Realist Synthesis for Public Health: Building an Ontologically Deep Understanding of How Programs Work, for Whom, and in Which Contexts","volume":"40","author":"Jagosh","year":"2019","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"Peters, M.D., Godfrey, C.M., McInerney, P., Soares, C.B., Khalil, H., and Parker, D. (2023, May 02). The Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers\u2019 Manual 2015: Methodology for JBI scoping reviews. Available online: https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/294736492_Methodology_for_JBI_Scoping_Reviews."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1186\/1748-5908-5-69","article-title":"Scoping studies: Advancing the methodology","volume":"5","author":"Levac","year":"2010","journal-title":"Implement. Sci."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"468","DOI":"10.1111\/tmi.13749","article-title":"Female genital mutilation and cutting in the Arab League and diaspora: A systematic review of preventive interventions","volume":"27","author":"Abidogun","year":"2022","journal-title":"Trop. Med. Int. Health"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"374","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2016.303613","article-title":"Bridging the response to mass shootings and urban violence: Exposure to violence in New Haven, Connecticut","volume":"107","author":"Santilli","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. J. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-publhealth-031914-122509","article-title":"Cure violence: A public health model to reduce gun violence","volume":"36","author":"Butts","year":"2015","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"Public Health England (2023, July 26). Preventing Serious Violence: A Multi-Agency Approach, Available online: https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/preventing-serious-violence-a-multi-agency-approach."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142","DOI":"10.1097\/EDE.0000000000000756","article-title":"Reducing Urban Violence: A Contrast of Public Health and Criminal Justice Approaches","volume":"29","author":"Cerda","year":"2018","journal-title":"Epidemiology"},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"18","article-title":"Violence interrupters using tested methods to save lives","volume":"50","author":"Barna","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nation\u2019s Health"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"641","DOI":"10.1097\/PHH.0000000000000687","article-title":"Youth Violence Prevention: Local Public Health Approach","volume":"23","author":"Tibbs","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Public Health Manag. Pract."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"686","DOI":"10.1016\/j.avb.2014.09.011","article-title":"Addressing gang-related violence in Glasgow: A preliminary pragmatic quasi-experimental evaluation of the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV)","volume":"19","author":"Williams","year":"2014","journal-title":"Aggress. Violent Behav."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S10","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2021.306344","article-title":"Engaging Communities in Youth Violence Prevention: Introduction and Contents","volume":"111","author":"Bartholow","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am. J. Public Health."},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"14","article-title":"Knife Crime: Where\u2019s The Public Health Approach? The Journal of The Health Visitors\u2019 Association","volume":"92","author":"Astrup","year":"2022","journal-title":"Community Pract."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3227","DOI":"10.1016\/j.injury.2022.07.012","article-title":"Use of a national trauma registry to target violence reduction initiatives","volume":"53","author":"Hodgson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Injury"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"510","DOI":"10.1080\/15299732.2011.593260","article-title":"Developing a trauma-informed, emergency department-based intervention for victims of urban violence","volume":"12","author":"Corbin","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Trauma Dissociation"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1108\/JACPR-03-2021-0590","article-title":"Hospital-based violence intervention: Strategies for cultivating internal support, community partnerships, and strengthening practitioner engagement","volume":"14","author":"Ranjan","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Aggress. Confl. Peace Res."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Heilbrun, K., DeMatteo, D., and Goldstein, N.E.S. (2016). Intervening in the community to treat trauma in young men of color. APA Handbook of Psychology and Juvenile Justice, American Psychological Association.","DOI":"10.1037\/14643-000"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1300\/J005v25n01_02","article-title":"Promoting Methodological Pluralism, Theoretical Diversity and Interdisciplinarity Through a Multi-Leveled Violence Prevention Initiative in South Africa","volume":"25","author":"Stevens","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Prev. Interv. Commun."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1390","DOI":"10.1177\/1077801212474874","article-title":"A public health approach to intimate partner violence prevention in Uganda: The SHARE Project","volume":"18","author":"Wagman","year":"2012","journal-title":"Violence Against Women"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"509","DOI":"10.1037\/law0000269","article-title":"A data-driven classification of outcome behaviors in those who cause concern to British public figures","volume":"27","author":"Clemmow","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psychol. Public Policy Law"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.jphp.3200150","article-title":"Armed Violence: A Health Problem, a Public Health Approach","volume":"28","author":"Valenti","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Public Health Policy"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"436","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198115579413","article-title":"Evaluation of DELTA PREP: A Project Aimed at Integrating Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence Within State Domestic Violence Coalitions","volume":"42","author":"Freire","year":"2015","journal-title":"Health Educ. Behav."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"250","DOI":"10.1002\/cbm.668","article-title":"Preventing alcohol-related violence: A public health approach","volume":"17","author":"Shepherd","year":"2016","journal-title":"Crim. Behav. Ment. Health"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"760","DOI":"10.1080\/10911359.2017.1282913","article-title":"Multisectoral approaches to addressing youth violence","volume":"27","author":"Bolton","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Hum. Behav. Soc. Environ."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1007\/s11524-012-9731-5","article-title":"Effects of Baltimore\u2019s Safe Streets Program on gun violence: A replication of Chicago\u2019s CeaseFire Program","volume":"90","author":"Webster","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Urban Health"},{"key":"ref_37","first-page":"385","article-title":"The Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission: An interagency collaborative process to reduce homicide","volume":"106","author":"Woods","year":"2007","journal-title":"WMJ"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1080\/09581596.2018.1535168","article-title":"Problematizing the medicalization of violence: A critical discourse analysis of the \u2018Cure Violence\u2019 initiative","volume":"29","author":"Riemann","year":"2019","journal-title":"Crit. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1177\/1541204004270911","article-title":"Public health and the prevention of juvenile criminal violence","volume":"3","author":"Welsh","year":"2005","journal-title":"Youth Violence Juv. Justice"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"435","DOI":"10.1017\/amj.2023.6","article-title":"Hairdos and Help-seeking: Mandatory Domestic Violence Training for Salon Workers","volume":"48","author":"Novick","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Law Med."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1177\/107906320001200104","article-title":"The public health approach to the prevention of sexual violence","volume":"12","author":"McMahon","year":"2000","journal-title":"Sex. Abus. J. Res. Treat."},{"key":"ref_42","first-page":"16","article-title":"Gun violence as public health","volume":"51","author":"Cohen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mod. Healthc."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1007\/s11121-012-0307-0","article-title":"Dating mattersTM: The next generation of teen dating violence prevention","volume":"13","author":"Tharp","year":"2012","journal-title":"Prev. Sci."},{"key":"ref_44","unstructured":"Weidenbach, K.N. (2013). Determinants of Implementation Effectiveness of State-based Injury and Violence Prevention Programs in Resource-Constrained Environments. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1177\/1077559505274674","article-title":"Child Maltreatment Prevention Priorities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","volume":"10","author":"Whitaker","year":"2005","journal-title":"Child Maltreat."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1016\/j.avb.2005.07.003","article-title":"Setting a violence prevention agenda at the centers for disease control and prevention","volume":"11","author":"Hammond","year":"2006","journal-title":"Aggress. Violent Behav."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108","DOI":"10.1080\/00207594.2012.737467","article-title":"A public health approach to preventing child abuse in low- and middle-income countries: A call for action","volume":"48","author":"Skeen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_48","unstructured":"Goldenberg, S.M., Morgan Thomas, R., Forbes, A., and Baral, S. (2021). Integrated Interventions to Address Sex Workers\u2019 Needs and Realities: Academic and Community Insights on Incorporating Structural, Behavioural, and Biomedical Approaches. Sex Work, Health, and Human Rights: Global Inequities, Challenges, and Opportunities for Action, Springer. Chapter 13."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"322","DOI":"10.1037\/pac0000081","article-title":"Public health, youth violence, and perpetrator well-being","volume":"21","author":"Neville","year":"2015","journal-title":"Peace Confl. J. Peace Psychol."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"344","DOI":"10.1007\/s11524-018-0244-8","article-title":"A Secondary Spatial Analysis of Gun Violence near Boston Schools: A Public Health Approach","volume":"95","author":"Barboza","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Urban Health"},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.3912\/OJIN.Vol19No01Man03","article-title":"Supporting Gang Violence Prevention Efforts: A Public Health Approach for Nurses","volume":"19","author":"McDaniel","year":"2014","journal-title":"Online J. Issues Nurs."},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3912\/OJIN.Vol19No01Man01","article-title":"Healthy People 2020 Objectives for Violence Prevention and the Role of Nursing","volume":"19","author":"Simon","year":"2014","journal-title":"Online J. Issues Nurs."},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1297","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(12)61745-0","article-title":"Latin America looks to violence prevention for answers","volume":"380","author":"Fraser","year":"2012","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-6632.2003.tb07325.x","article-title":"Implications of public health for policy on sexual violence","volume":"989","author":"Basile","year":"2003","journal-title":"Ann. New York Acad. Sci."},{"key":"ref_55","unstructured":"Systems, H.L. (2023, August 09). Human Learning Systems. Available online: https:\/\/www.humanlearning.systems\/."},{"key":"ref_56","unstructured":"Brogan, A., Eichsteller, G., Hawkins, M., Hesselgreaves, H., Jennions, B.N., Lowe, T., Plimmer, D., Terry, V., and Williams, G. (2021). Human Learning Systems: Public Service for the Real World, Centre for Public Impact. Available online: https:\/\/www.centreforpublicimpact.org\/assets\/documents\/hls-real-world.pdf."},{"key":"ref_57","unstructured":"World Health Organisation (2023, August 03). Global Status Report on Preventing Violence against Children 2020. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/teams\/social-determinants-of-health\/violence-prevention\/global-status-report-on-violence-against-children-2020."},{"key":"ref_58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.16.172965","article-title":"Global research priorities for interpersonal violence prevention: A modified Delphi study","volume":"95","author":"Mikton","year":"2017","journal-title":"Bull. World Health Organ."},{"key":"ref_59","unstructured":"Crerar, P. (2024, September 15). Untreated Mental Health Issues Too Often Leading to Violent Crimes, Says Khan. The Guardian. 1 May 2024. Available online: https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2024\/may\/01\/mental-health-services-key-to-preventing-violent-crimes-says-khan."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/21\/10\/1321\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T16:10:44Z","timestamp":1760112644000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/21\/10\/1321"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]]},"references-count":59,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph21101321"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph21101321","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]]}}}